Latest news with #FillmoreCountySheriff'sOffice
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Man who died in LeRoy fire identified
May 27—LEROY, Minn. — A 90-year-old LeRoy man died in a house fire that erupted before 4 a.m. Saturday, May 24. Donald Norval Anderson and one dog died inside the home, according to the Fillmore County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office received a report of a house fire at 13073 111th Ave. in LeRoy, Minnesota. Deputies spoke with a 46-year-old woman who jumped from a window to escape the fire, a release from the sheriff's office said. The woman, who was later transported to Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester for her injuries, told law enforcement that her husband was in the home along with two dogs. The Fillmore County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota State Fire Marshall's Office are investigating the incident to determine the cause of the fire. According to a previous release, the Chester, Iowa Fire Department, Ostrander Fire Department, Spring Valley Fire Department, LeRoy Ambulance and Mower County Sheriff's Office also responded to the fire. Anderson was previously charged with animal mistreatment after officials seized 15 German shepherd dogs and puppies from their property. However, in April, the prosecution agreed to pause court proceedings to give Anderson and his wife a chance to demonstrate that they can properly care for their animals.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Yahoo
Woman injured, horse killed in vehicle crash involving Amish buggy in Fillmore County
Apr. 14—FILLMORE, Minn. — A Stewartville man was cited for duty to drive with due care after his vehicle struck an Amish buggy Saturday morning, April 12. According to a Fillmore County Sheriff's Office release, deputies responded to a crash on County Road 8, north of the intersection at 250th Street, after 7:38 a.m. Saturday. As a result of their investigation, deputies found that a horse-drawn flat bed Amish buggy was traveling south on County Road 8 when it was struck by a 63-year-old man's 2010 Ford pickup. The horse was killed in the crash, and the 26-year-old woman in the buggy was transported to the Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus for treatment of minor injuries.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Yahoo
Parties agree to suspend prosecution in LeRoy couple's animal mistreatment cases
Apr. 10—PRESTON, Minn. — Prosecutors have agreed to pause court proceedings to allow two Fillmore County dog breeders accused of animal mistreatment a chance to demonstrate that they can properly care for their animals. The cases against Elham Waled Mohammad Alayyoub and Donald Norval Anderson will be suspended for eight months. The couple were charged with nine misdemeanor counts of animal mistreatment after officials seized 15 German shepherd dogs and puppies from their property. If Alayyoub and Anderson remain law-abiding during that time and allow the Fillmore County Sheriff's Office to conduct welfare checks on their animals, the case will be dismissed. Fillmore County Attorney Brett Corson filed the continuance for dismissal on Tuesday, April 8, noting that the sheriff's office will "observe and check on the welfare of any animals" on their property. The sheriff's office will be allowed to check their property twice, once in three months and a second time in six months. Anderson and Alayyoub will receive a 48-hour notice before conducting the checks. The two must cooperate with the animal checks to ensure that they will be home. According to the criminal complaint, Anderson and Alayyoub told Fillmore County deputies on Feb. 9 that they breed German shepherds in rural LeRoy and one of their dogs unexpectedly died. The two said the dog may have been poisoned by someone and that this was the second dog to die under similar circumstances over the past few months. Deputies suggested that Alayyoub and Anderson take the dog to a veterinarian at the University of Minnesota to determine its cause of death, the complaint said. On Feb. 13, the deputies contacted the veterinarian who reported that the dog's body was markedly underweight and in poor condition. The dog was dehydrated and at a high risk for starvation. The veterinarian determined the cause of death to be cardiovascular insufficiency along with intestinal volvulus, a rare disorder in dogs that occurs when the small intestine twists around the mesentery that supports it. The veterinarian told deputies that he was concerned for other dogs in the couple's care. The Fillmore County Sheriff's Office went to Alayyoub and Anderson's property, where deputies saw nine adult German shepherds and eight puppies. One deputy was able to pet one of the males and felt its spine and ribs through its fur. In the kennel area, the complaint says, the floors were covered with fecal matter and there was a strong smell of urine. A search warrant to seize the dogs from the property was executed, and nine adult German shepherds and six puppies were turned over to the Animal Humane Society for care and examination. Two puppies were sold prior to the execution of the search warrant, the complaint said. According to the complaint, five dogs were suffering from chronic malnutrition, nine were suffering from malnutrition and one was emaciated. Dogs are measured on a nine-point body condition score, indicating underweight, overweight and the ideal weight. One dog scored a 3/9, the complaint said. Every other dog received a score of 2 or lower. At least one of the dogs was diagnosed with coccidia and hookworms, or intestinal parasites.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Yahoo
Woman accused of lying for twin sister after fatal Amish buggy crash enters guilty plea
Feb. 4—PRESTON, Minn. — The twin sister accused of lying to investigators after a 2023 Amish buggy crash entered a guilty plea in court. "I did," Petersen said during the settlement conference on Tuesday, Feb. 4. "I lied." Sarah Beth Petersen, 36, is accused of lying to investigators after the crash on Sept. 25, 2023. She was charged in February 2024 with 16 felony counts, relating to aiding an offender and taking responsibility for criminal acts. Petersen pleaded guilty to two felony counts of criminal vehicular operation that caused great bodily harm, both involving her taking responsibility for the criminal acts of another. In exchange for probation, Petersen may face up to four years of probation and six months in jail. Petersen and her twin sister Samantha Jo Petersen are accused of attempting to switch places after Samantha's vehicle struck a two-wheeled horse-drawn buggy at 8:25 a.m. on Sept. 25, 2023, on Fillmore County Road 1 near the intersection with County Road 102. As a result of the crash, two children and a horse were killed. Two more children were injured. During the hearing, Sarah Beth admitted that her twin sister called her around 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 25, 2023. "She was crying," Sarah Beth said. "She was panicking and scared." Sarah Beth said in court that once she got to the scene of the crash, her sister told her she didn't see the buggy while driving over the hill. Samantha Jo then asked Sarah Beth to tell law enforcement that she was driving. "At first, I said no," Sarah Beth said. "Then she made a comment saying she would go to prison for a long time." Sarah Beth continued answering questions from her attorney, Dan McIntosh of Knutson Casey, PC, including telling the court she persisted with lying to law enforcement. At Sarah Beth's sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for March 31, District Judge Jeremy Clinefelter said the court would then accept her guilty plea and dismiss the 14 other charges. Samantha Jo Petersen is facing 17 charges, relating to criminal vehicular homicide, felony criminal operation, driving while impaired, failing to provide proof of insurance and careless driving. Four counts including the element that Petersen was under a combination of methamphetamine and THC, were dismissed. Following Sarah Beth's hearing, Fillmore County Attorney Brett Corson said there is a chance that the testimony heard in court on Tuesday would impact Samantha Jo's case. He did not specify how. Samantha Jo's trial is scheduled to begin on July 14. Witnesses who first arrived at the crash told a captain with the Fillmore County Sheriff's Office that they saw a woman they presumed involved in the crash on the scene on a phone. Later, another woman appeared at the scene who looked similar to the first woman, but wearing different clothes. As Sarah sat in the squad car, the car's audio recording equipment picked up a conversation between the sisters. The two discussed how law enforcement could not tell them apart. "There's no way they would ever know the difference between the two of us so they can't tell," Sarah could be heard saying. In a search of Samantha's phone, investigators found text messages from Samantha to friends including one where she wrote: "Made Sarah come and take the fall for it so I wouldn't go to prison." Samantha had also used her phone to search "What happens if you get in an accident with an Amish buggy and kill two people," "how to lock an iphone cops have," and "if you hit a buggy and kill two people are you going to prison?"
