MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A 60-year-old St. James man has been found guilty on all counts for murdering his wife after an argument about how he forgot their wedding anniversary, and then killing his stepdaughter who tried fleeing from him.

According to a representative from the Watonwan County Attorney’s Office, Scott Engelbrecht was found guilty to two counts of first-degree premediated murder, two counts of second-degree murder with intent and second-degree assault in connection to the June 16, 2018 incident.

According to a criminal complaint, the shooting happened at a home on the 1100 block of First Avenue South in St. James, a community about 120 miles southwest of Minneapolis.

A relative reported to police that Engelbrecht and his wife, Joyce Engelbrecht, were arguing that evening about how he had forgotten their wedding anniversary this year and the past several years. Not long after, the relative heard a loud thud and Rachel Elaine Linder, Engelbrecht’s stepdaughter, screaming: “You shot her, you bastard!”

The relative grabbed a stun gun and ran upstairs from the basement, where he was watching TV. He found Engelbrecht with a .22-calibre rifle and told Linder to run as fast she could. After failing to shoot Engelbrecht with the stun gun, the relative ran back downstairs, locked himself in the bathroom and called police.

Responding officers found Engelbrecht in the home’s backyard with a .22-calibre rifle. When told to drop his weapon, he leaned it against a tree and said, “I shot her…I did it,” the complaint states. Engelbrecht held out his wrists to be handcuffed.

Police found Joyce Engelbrecht inside the home with a gunshot wound to her forehead. She was breathing and seemed to be alert. Emergency crews brought her to a hospital, where she died less than a day later.

Officers found Linder’s body on the porch of a nearby house. She had suffered three gunshot wounds, one to her left forearm, one to her back and one to her head, which was fired at close range.

In his statements to police, Engelbrecht did not deny shooting either his wife or his stepdaughter.

Engelbrecht’s sentencing date has not yet been set.

SARGENT, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 30-year-old Minnesota man was arrested after Nebraska state troopers found hundreds of packages of THC products in his car.

Custer County Court records say Anthony Kolbe, of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, is charged with possession of a controlled substance for sale and with related drug crimes. The records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for him.

The Nebraska State Patrol said in a news release Friday that Kolbe was pulled over Wednesday evening for speeding about 10 miles (16.1 kilometers) west of Sargent. The patrol says a patrol dog alerted the trooper to the presence of drugs.

credit: Nebraska State Patrol

The patrol says a search revealed 386 containers of THC wax, 144 packages of a cannabis extract, 62 THC vape cartridges, 39 containers of THC edibles and liquid products and 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms) of marijuana.

(© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder of his girlfriend in 2015, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Friday. 

Joshua Dow was charged with the murder of his girlfriend Adelle Jensen in May. 

Dow and Jensen’s parents first reported Jensen missing on Nov. 18, 2015. But Dow’s brother told police Dow forced him at gunpoint to help transport Jensen’s body to a warehouse, claiming Jensen had shot herself in front of him. 

When police arrived at the warehouse, Jensen’s body was missing. Dow pleaded guilty to first-degree drug sale and misdemeanor charges of interference with a dead body in February 2016. 

He is still serving his sentence for these charges. The sentence is set to end in February. 

But after an investigation by local authorities, Freeman announced in May that there was evidence beyond a reasonable that Dow had killed Jensen. 

According to a press release from Freeman’s office, the investigation makes clear that Dow shot Jensen in his north Minneapolis.

Jensen’s body was never located. 

Dow now pleads guilty and will face sentencing on Dec. 4. He said in court Thursday that his actions with a gun caused her death. 

“This is a very good outcome for Ms. Jensen’s family and for justice in general,” Freeman said in a statement. “As we said from the beginning, it was a difficult case because we did not have Ms. Jensen’s body. But Mr. Dow realized that the unremitting investigation by Minneapolis police had put together an excellent circumstantial case which we could use to successfully convince a jury of his guilt. He did the right thing by pleading guilty.”

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A 16-year-old boy faces a serious charge after he allegedly ran through a St. Paul high school with a loaded handgun Wednesday.

According to the criminal complaint, the incident occurred Wednesday at around 3:30 p.m. at Humboldt High School. There, a school resource officer (SRO) was told by school employees that a 16-year-old was walking toward the school.

The school resource officer knew the teen as having multiple felony warrants for his arrest and that he is a suspect in another theft case, according to the complaint.

When the SRO yelled for the teen suspect to put his hands up, the teen initially complied, but he then attempted to flee. The teen ran into Humboldt High School, ran through the cafeteria, exited another door and ran through nearby residential yards. He was eventually detained by a resident.

When police arrived, they placed the teen under arrest and found a Smith and Wesson .380 Bodyguard firearm in his right front pocket. It was loaded with a round in the chamber and four additional rounds in the magazine.

The teen faces one delinquency felony count of possessing a dangerous weapon on school property.

School officials, who called the teen a former student, released a note to parents Thursday:

Dear Humboldt High School and Open World Learning Families,

I am writing to update you about a serious situation that occurred yesterday after school. Our school resource officer recognized a former student on school grounds – outside of the school – who should not have been on school property. When approached by the officer, the former student ran to the school’s locked side doors and was let in by a group of students. The suspect ran through the building and out the other side within seconds.

Staff responded immediately by calling the Saint Paul Police Department and the district’s Security and Emergency Management Department. The school went into a short lockdown that included moving students out of the hallways and keeping them in secured classrooms.

Upon exiting the building, the former student was arrested off of school grounds and police reported that he was carrying a firearm.

We take these situations seriously and will follow our discipline procedures for the students who broke the rules and let the former student inside.

Schools are safe places to be, and we strive to do everything it takes to make sure it stays that way. We also need your help. Maintaining a safe school environment is always a top priority and students are a key part of that. Please assure your child that it is important for them to report any concerns they have about school to a trusted adult.

If you have any questions or other concerns about school, please call me at 651-293-8600.

Thank you for supporting your child and your school.

Sincerely,
Michael Sodomka
David Gundale

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A 24-year-old Blaine man faces felony charges after he allegedly fired multiple shots at a vehicle departing a gas station in St. Paul before a U.S. Marshal intervened and shot him.

Alize Jovon Cleaves is charged with assault and discharging a weapon at an occupied vehicle in connection to the Nov. 6 incident. He’s currently in custody at the Ramsey County Jail.

According to the authorities, the incident occurred at a gas station located at 500 7th St. E. in St. Paul at around 5 p.m. Cleaves was in the fuel pumps area of the gas station when he allegedly began shooting at a Dodge Avenger with multiple people inside as it was leaving. No one in the vehicle was injured from the shooting.

The complaint says that meanwhile, there were three Deputy U.S. Marshals at the gas station, with one of them refueling their vehicle. After witnessing the shooting, the U.S. Marshal outside the vehicle identified himself as a U.S. Marshal and told Cleaves to drop his gun. Cleaves instead turned toward the U.S Marshal still holding the gun.

The U.S. Marshal then shot Cleaves twice, fearing for the safety of other customers and his own life, the complaint said.

The U.S. Marshals immediately provided aid to Cleaves, who was taken to the hospital and survived his gunshot wounds.

In a later interview, Cleaves admitted to having the gun, which he purchased on the street. He said he shot at the other vehicle because one of occupants said they had a gun, which Cleaves did not see. He said he shot at the departing Dodge in order to protect his family.

The Dodge was located later by police, and at least three bullet strikes were found. Forensic analysis is ongoing.

If convicted, Cleaves could face up to 10 years in prison on the shooting charge and up to seven years for each assault charge.

The Minnesota BCA is investigating both shooting incidents.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A Minnesota man was sentenced to 36 months in prison Friday for sexually assaulting and stalking a teenager while working as a police officer. 

Joshua Demmerly, 30, was charged in with sexually assault and stalking a teenager as an officer with the Warroad Police Department in April. According to court documents, the victim claimed Demmerly told them that they were under investigation and the only way to get out of a search warrant was to spend time with him. 

Demmerly also allegedly gave the victim and other teens alcohol and tracked the victim’s location via phone. 

The crimes were reported to take place when the victim was 16 and 17 years old. 

Demmerly pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal sexual conduct and two counts of stalking in September, according to court documents, entering an Alford plea, a guilty plea in which the defendant still asserts innocence. 

He was sentenced on these counts Friday. He will serve a total of 36 months in the Minnesota Department of Corrections – St. Cloud. He has credit for 221 days served.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Leroy Davis-Miles, 23, is charged in connection to a life-threatening assault of an elderly man Wednesday afternoon in south Minneapolis.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s office says Davis-Miles and his friends followed the 75-year-old victim off of a Metro Transit bus at about 2:45 p.m. after the man asked them to stop talking so loud.

Surveillance camera footage at the Chicago-Lake Transit Center appears to show Davis-Miles, whose face was off-camera, lunge at the victim as if to strike him. The man then falls back and hits his head on the pavement. The county attorney’s office says the victim may not survive from the head injury he suffered.

Leroy Davante Davis-Miles (credit: Hennepin Co. Jail)

Footage also appears to show Davis-Miles shaking hands with friends after the attack, before some of them started to search through the victim’s pockets.

Investigators used facial recognition software to help identify Davis-Miles from the bus’s footage, and also matched his clothing and wristband from the two separate video sources. Those items were later found inside the suspect’s residence.

Davis-Miles was arrested on Thursday and charged Friday with first-degree assault. His first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

The victim, who has not been identified, is in critical condition at Hennepin Healthcare.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota is now helping coordinate the fight against violence in St. Paul.

Last year in St. Paul, the number of people killed by homicide was 15. And so far this year, it’s almost double that with 28.

U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald met with local, state and federal law enforcement Thursday to get plans in motion. Her meeting was held while hundreds met to discuss violence in St. Paul at the first of three meetings scheduled by Mayor Melvin Carter.

“The bulk of the conversation focused on what we can bring to the table as far as resources to help Chief [Todd] Axtell and this fight that he has on his hands,” MacDonald said. “Each one of our partners has different resources to dedicate whether it be personal or intelligence or evidence gathering and processing and each has offered that up.”

U.S. Attorney Erica McDonald (credit: CBS)

The St. Paul Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will take its crime gun intelligence and focus on the violent offenders who are committing these shootings. The FBI will be sending some personnel and assets to also help St. Paul police.

MacDonald says her office will also work closely with the Ramsey County Attorney’s office.

“On a prosecutorial level, what we are going to do when these cases come in because we expect that we are going to be prosecuting a number of individuals, the small number of individuals responsible for the bulk of the crime,” MacDonald said.

The group will focus on three components to effective gun violence reduction: law enforcement, treatment and prevention.

READ MORE: St. Paul’s Police Chief Says He Has A Plan To Combat Violence In The City

“Do not be afraid to call law enforcement. When you see something, say something,” MacDonald said. “When it comes to treatment and prevention, we need to get these kids at a younger age so we can get them out of the life of gangs into productive health pro-social life. And I think that all community members can think about in their walk of life what can they do to reach out in their community to reach out to kids and create opportunity.”

MacDonald hopes to bring every available resource to stop the violence.

Mayor Carter is considering the addition of a public safety spending proposal to St. Paul’s 2020 budget. The city council is expected to vote on the budget in December.

An Interactive Map Of St. Paul Fatal Shootings In 2019

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — There are more positive developments in the case of a dog found starving and abandoned along a western Wisconsin highway.

The Dunn County Humane Society says Gabriel has now gained 18 pounds since a deputy found him near Menomonie last week.

Gabriel (credit: CBS)

READ MORE: ‘He’s A Fighter’: Severely Malnourished, Emaciated Dog Making Miracle Recovery In Dunn County

Gabriel was only about 23 pounds when he arrived, which is less than half of what a dog his size should weigh.

Shelter workers say it’s the worst case of animal abuse they’ve ever seen. Deputies are searching for who’s to blame.

It will be a few months before Gabriel is healthy enough to be adopted, but there are plenty of other animals waiting to find a home. Here is more information on adoption, and how to donate to help Gabriel’s recovery.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Minneapolis police are investigating a robbery near the University of Minnesota.

University officials say it happened at about midnight Saturday near 5th Street Southeast and 10th Avenue in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood.

Police are looking for four to five male suspects, one of whom was wearing a mask.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911.

NEW YORK (AP) — The CBD craze is leaving the war on drugs a bit dazed and confused.

The extract that’s been showing up in everything from candy to coffee is legally derived from hemp plants, which look and smell an awful lot like that other cannabis — marijuana. They’re so similar, police officers and the field tests they use on suspected drugs sometimes can’t tell the difference.

READ MORE: Are Hemp-Derived CBD Products Illegal In Minnesota?

Case in point, New York City police boasted on social media this week about what seemed like a significant drug bust: 106 pounds (48 kilograms) of funky, green plants that officers thought sure seemed like marijuana.

But the Vermont farm that grew the plants and the Brooklyn CBD shop that ordered them insisted they’re actually industrial hemp, and perfectly legal. And, they said, they have paperwork to prove it.

Nevertheless, when the shop’s owner brother went to the police station to straighten things out, he was arrested. Police said a field test had come back positive for marijuana.

Gov. Tim Walz during a visit to a Minnesota hemp farm (credit: CBS)

READ MORE: Gov. Tim Walz Visits 1st Minnesota Farm To Grow Hemp In Decades

Shop owner Oren Levy said that’s likely because hemp often tests positive for a permissible, trace amount of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the chemical in cannabis that causes people to get high.

Field tests used by law enforcement officers can detect THC but aren’t sophisticated enough to specify whether a shipment is legal hemp or low-grade illegal pot, and drug-sniffing dogs will alert on both.

“He was a hungry cop. He thought he had the bust of the day,” said Levy, whose Green Angel CBD NYC sells oils, teas and other products containing the extract. He said he fears the seizure could force him out of business.

CBD, or cannabidiol, is also found in marijuana but does not have a psychoactive effect. Some people say it provides them with pain and anxiety relief.

“I can’t believe I’m going through this for a legal business,” Levy said. “I can’t believe my poor brother got locked up.”

Oren and Ronen Levy are not alone.

Since the U.S. government removed industrial hemp last year from the list of illegal drugs, a number of similar cases have cropped up across the country.

In July, a man who said he was delivering 300 pounds (136 kilograms) of hemp to a Minnesota CBD-oil processing company was arrested in South Dakota after authorities there said it tested positive for THC. The substance “looked and smelled like raw marijuana,” a state trooper said.

In January, Idaho authorities arrested a truck driver and seized nearly 7,000 pounds (3,175 kilograms) of what they believed to be marijuana, even though the company shipping the material said accompanying paperwork made clear it was industrial hemp.

READ MORE: US AG Officials Finalizing Rule To Let Farmers Legally Grow Hemp

At least two other truckers and two security guards involved in transporting industrial hemp have been arrested and charged with felony drug trafficking. In May, the U.S. Agriculture Department sent a memorandum instructing states not to block the transportation of hemp that contains 0.3% or less THC.

The Nov. 2 Brooklyn bust that landed Ronen Levy in handcuffs stemmed from a tip from a FedEx worker who suspected the load of plants on their way from Fox Holler Farms in Fair Haven, Vermont, to Levy’s shop were marijuana, New York City police said.

“We got information about a large package of drugs. We got it in here. We field tested it as marijuana, called the individual in. He was placed under arrest,” said NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan.

“It is currently at the lab at this point to make a final determination, was it hemp?” Monahan said. “The individual had no bill of lading justifying its delivery.”

Ronen Levy, who runs his own CBD business catering to pets, pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of felony criminal possession of marijuana. He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court on Nov. 19.

The police department drew attention to the bust by posting pictures on its official Facebook and Twitter accounts showing the officers in a room full of the seized plants. Oren Levy and the farm fought back with posts of their own.

Fox Holler Farms said in a statement posted on its Facebook page that the shipment bound for Levy’s shop was fully compliant with Vermont, New York and federal laws.

The farm’s lawyer, Timothy Fair, said that before the hemp shipment left Vermont, it was tested at FedEx’s request by a local police department. The level of THC was less than half the allowable threshold, he said.

A FedEx spokeswoman said even if the plants were hemp, they should not have been shipped using its service. The company’s service guide lists hemp plants, leaves, oil and CBD derived from hemp among its prohibited items.

Oren Levy said he would’ve gone to the police station himself but couldn’t because he was recovering from a recent surgery. Soon enough, Oren Levy said, Ronen texted him: “I think I’m getting arrested.”

“They treated him like a drug dealer,” Oren Levy said. “He’s never been to jail in his whole life. He still hasn’t slept. He’s paranoid.”

(© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A man has gunshot injuries from an incident near 46th Avenue North and Lyndale Avenue North in Minneapolis Saturday evening.

Just after 4:45 p.m., Minneapolis police responded to a crash report and found the gunshot victim in a vehicle. Police said the victim is in critical condition and the man was taken to a medical center. Police say he is expected to survive.

One man is in custody in connection with the shooting.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — An area in the North End area of St. Paul was the scene of a vehicle-residence crash, shooting and double-vehicle crash Saturday afternoon, St. Paul police said. A vehicle rear-ended another near the intersection of I-35E and Maryland Avenue East sometime before 1:30 p.m.

The drivers argued with each other before the striking vehicle drove off, the other driver following.

Around 1:30 p.m., the striking vehicle drove into a home before the driver and passenger fled the scene.

The other driver who had previously been rear-ended got out of their car, followed the two, and was shot at by at least one of the suspects.

Police said he was not shot. Shots went through the walls of a home in the 1100 block of North Park Street, about a mile southwest of the rear-end crash.

Police said it was unclear as to what time shots were fired.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) —This week, a teenager confessed to police to drawing a swastika at Concord Elementary in Edina.

They weren’t criminally charged because the chalk graffiti didn’t cause permanent damage to the school.

“It’s very difficult to prosecute that because there is a loophole with property,” said DFL State Representative Frank Hornstein.

That’s why Rep. Hornstein believes new legislation is needed.

“The damage isn’t to the property. The damage is to the community,” said Rep. Hornstein.

He was inspired to work towards change after several recent bias crimes in the area, like when store windows of East African-owned businesses on Franklin Avenue were smashed in September.

“We will be working with community groups, with law enforcement, with other stakeholders, to make sure that we can update these laws,” said Rep. Hornstein.

He will also be pushing for new police training on how to recognize, respond and report hate crimes.

“The LGBTQ community, the immigrant community, Muslims, Jews, people of color, indigenous people, people with disabilities, there’s gender-based hate crimes — so really, there’s very few people that are unaffected by this,” said Rep. Hornstein.

He hopes the issue will receive support from both sides of the aisle.

“Standing up to hate should not be a partisan issue,” said Hornstein.

He believes the bill will be ready to be introduced by the start of the legislative session next year.

In recent weeks, Attorney General Keith Ellison has been hosting listening sessions on hate crimes across the state.

SEE ALSO: ‘It Was Like A Drug’: Former White Supremacist Christian Picciolini Speaks Out Against Hate Groups In St. Cloud 

The next is scheduled for Dec. 3 in Rochester.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — One person is dead after a shooting near the intersection of Rice Street and West Wayzata Street in St. Paul Sunday around 5 p.m., the St. Paul Police Department said.

Police said a man was found in a vehicle with a gunshot wound in the 900 block of Rice Street. He was unconscious and not breathing. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sgt. Mike Ernster said it’s the 29th fatal shooting in 2019 in St. Paul.

“We are working with our local, state and federal partners to hold the people responsible that are pulling the trigger,” Ernster said.

Police said officers are searching for a suspect and witnesses.

“It’s frustrating I’m talking to you about this again,” Ernster said.

Those with information are asked to call St. Paul Police Homicide Unit at 651-266-5650.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) — Police in St. Paul are investigating a shooting that left one person injured Sunday night.

The St. Paul Police Department was called to the area of Rice and Sherburne around 11:30 p.m. on a report of shots fired.

Officials say shortly after, a man showed up at Regions Hospital with a gunshot wound to his back. Police say the man is stable with non-life threatening injuries.

The incident remains under investigation.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — An elderly man is in critical condition with a serious brain injury after asking a fellow bus passenger to keep his voice down.

Prosecutors charged 23-year-old Leroy Davis-Miles with first-degree assault in the case.

According to the criminal complaint, the attack happened in broad daylight at the Chicago-Lake Transit Center on Wednesday. A 75-year-old man was punched just after getting off a bus. He then fell and hit his head on the pavement.

Suspect Davis-Miles got away, but surveillance — and a critical piece of technology — helped authorities track him down. Right after the attack, police started looking through bus and transit center video. Once they found the assault on camera, they used facial recognition software to identify Davis-Miles as the suspect.

Dr. Manjeet Rege is an artificial intelligence expert and professor at University of St. Thomas. He says law enforcement can use things like old mug shots in their data base to search for a match.

Leroy Davante Davis-Miles (credit: Hennepin Co. Jail)

“Earlier you were relying on human memory, human judgement, and now we’re hoping computers can do a much better job at that,” Rege said.

He says while there’s less room for human error, there is still plenty of room for system errors.

“Any recognition system can be fooled into thinking this is the exact same person, but that might not be the case,” he said.

In this case, police found clothing in Davis-Miles’s home that matched his outfit on the surveillance video. And for now, Rege says double checking technology is critical.

“Just because this is a computer making a prediction does not mean that it is perfect,” Rege said.

Davis-Miles is expected to make his first court appearance Tuesday reporting. Police are still investigating, and say they anticipate making more arrests.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — On the coldest night of the season, one of the last things you’d want to hear is you’re about to lose power.

But that’s exactly what some scam artists are calling people about, claiming to be Xcel Energy.

The number now identifies as “WIRELESS CALLER” in Brad Shafer’s cellphone call log, but earlier his caller ID told him Xcel Energy was on the line.

“The guy said he was from Xcel and that there was a crew on the way to disconnect the power at my welding shop,” Shafer said.

He was told his account was more than $300 past due and would need to bring cash to a Walgreens, where he would receive further instruction on how to pay up.

“The guy was adamant they couldn’t take electronic payment,” he said. “I was in panic mode and thank God my daughter was sitting there and she was not emotionally involved in it.”

His daughter, Macy Beckman, was eating lunch with her dad and noticed how distressed he was after the call. When Shafter explained what he was being ordered to do, she figured something wasn’t right and told him to call Xcel Energy before going through with the payment.

“I just think that’s weird. No big company would ask for cash,” Shafer said.

Once he called Xcel, Shafer was told he was nearly scammed and that he likely would have been ordered to put the cash onto a gift card at Walgreens.

“I don’t know of a credible business that does take gift cards to pay your bills,” he said.

Sometimes the scam comes as a robo-call. The scammers can make it so the caller ID says Xcel Energy, even mimicking the company’s phone number. The main difference is that Xcel’s number starts with 800, whereas the scammer number started with the 651 area code. Also, Xcel would not call a customer if the company was about to turn off the customer’s power. Instead, Xcel sends a notice in the mail.

When the scammer called back, Shafer told him he called the police.

“He hung up immediately,” Shafer said.

“I just think if you have a funny feeling about it, double check and actually call,” Beckman said.

Another reminder for customers is that Xcel doesn’t shut off a customer’s power from mid-October to mid-April. It’s to ensure Minnesotan’s don’t lose their primary heating source during winter.

Instead, Xcel will work with customers to come up with a payment plan if they are behind on payments.

For more information on common scams connected to Xcel and how to avoid the, click here.