Latest news with #OlmstedCountySheriff'sOffice
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Olmsted County deputies arrest man after attempts to flee on unlicensed motorcycle
Jun. 2—ROCHESTER — Olmsted County deputies took a Rochester man into custody after he attempted to flee from law enforcement while operating a motorcycle without a license. The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office initiated a pursuit around 12:15 p.m. on May 30 after deputies observed a man driving a motorcycle without a license on Highway 63 South at East Frontage Road, according to a release from OCSO. The man fled southbound, left the roadway and drove across a cornfield before dumping the motorcycle in a marshy area and fleeing on foot. An OCSO K9 was used for tracking purposes, and the man was located hiding in a marshy area near FedEx and the Rochester International Airport, the release said. The man was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center. The case was referred to the Olmsted County Attorney's Office for fleeing in a motor vehicle and possessing stolen property.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Two hurt in Sunday morning rollover near Byron
May 11—BYRON, Minn. — Two people were hurt when the driver of a car drove off the roadway on U.S. Highway 14 the morning of Sunday, May 11 between Byron and Rochester. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Pal Dak Wal, 20, of Albert Lea, was driving a 2014 Ford Fusion heading west in Kalmar Township when he drove off the highway into the median rolling the car. Pal Dak Wal, and passenger Maatwal Dak Wal, 21, of Albert Lea, suffered minor injuries, according to the report. Both were taken to St. Marys Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office and Byron Fire department also responded to the crash and assisted the Minnesota State Patrol.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Rochester man accused of carjacking his Lyft driver's vehicle
Apr. 28—ROCHESTER — A Rochester man has been accused of carjacking his Lyft driver's vehicle after getting "angry" over the $60 fare. Christopher Paul Hilton, 41, was charged on Friday, April 25, with first-degree carjacking. His first appearance is scheduled for Nov. 11. According to the criminal complaint, deputies from the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office responded to a trailer court in Stewartville, located at 105 20th Street NW, after receiving a report of two men fighting. When police arrived, one man was still at the scene and the other left in a vehicle. The man at the scene told police he is a Lyft driver who was hired to bring a man from Rochester to Stewartville. The complaint said once they arrived at the trailer court, "the patron began to get angry" over the $60 fare. The man said Hilton grabbed his neck and hit him in the head while in the car. Both exited the vehicle when Hilton hit the man again, got in the car and drove off, the complaint said. According to the complaint, the Lyft driver provided police with a video he took while Hilton assaulted him. The man gave his vehicle's license plate number, and police found that Hilton wanted to be transported to 2109 Bluebird Terrace NW in Stewartville. The man's vehicle, a 2018 Honda CRV, was found unoccupied in front of a residence on 23rd Street Northwest. The complaint said surveillance video showed Hilton exit the driver's side of the car and head on foot toward 2109 Bluebird Terrace NW.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Yahoo
Mazeppa woman sentenced after pleading guilty to financial exploitation of vulnerable adult
Apr. 21—ROCHESTER — A Mazeppa woman accused of withdrawing more than $178,000 from a vulnerable adult's bank account received a stay of adjudication, or a delayed conviction. Daphne Jo Castillo, 59, was charged with 10 counts of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and one count of issuing a dishonored check, all felonies. Castillo pleaded guilty to one count of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult in February. During the sentencing hearing on Monday afternoon, April 21, District Court Judge Pamela King issued a stay of adjudication on one count of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult. Castillo will also be on supervised probation for five years. Castillo is also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $184,000 in restitution to the vulnerable adult. As part of her sentencing conditions, she will no longer be allowed to have any financial authority over anyone. In exchange for her guilty plea, the remaining 10 counts were dismissed. According to the criminal complaint, the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office was assigned to an adult protection case for possible financial exploitation on June 7. An investigator reviewed a maltreatment report for a woman who had an outstanding balance of nearly $30,000 due to a memory care facility in northwest Rochester where she lived. A check written in the amount of $10,500 was returned for insufficient funds. An investigator observed "multiple suspicious transactions," including cash withdrawals, on the woman's bank statements, the complaint said. In July, Castillo told law enforcement that she had been the woman's power of attorney since 2014 when the woman was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Castillo said she purchased items for the woman's benefit with the woman's account. Because she had issues using the woman's card, Castillo began withdrawing cash for the purchases. "She did not keep receipts and could not verify how the money she withdrew had been used," the complaint said. Castillo said she did not know how much money she took out of the woman's account but admitted to using some of the money for a truck that Castillo purchased, the complaint said. Following Castillo's interview with law enforcement, an Olmsted County Adult Protection Social Worker found that Castillo began withdrawing funds from the woman's account as early as 2019. Castillo withdrew more than $16,400 from July through December 2019, $28,000 in 2020, $15,100 in 2021, $12,500 in 2022, $61,700 in 2023, and $44,600 from January through June 2024. In total, the complaint alleges that Castillo withdrew $178,643.16 from the woman's account over five years.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Yahoo
Rochester man accused of stealing more than $40K from woman
Mar. 11—ROCHESTER — A Rochester man is accused of transferring more than $46,000 to his bank account from a woman who had dementia. Jesse Koran Lequia, 50, appeared virtually on Tuesday, March 11, in Olmsted County District Court. Lequia was charged in November 2024 with five felony counts of theft after an adult abuse report revealed that a Rochester woman, diagnosed with dementia and aphasia, was missing more than $40,000. During Tuesday's hearing, Lequia asked the court for a continuance as he continues searching for an attorney. His next hearing is scheduled for April 9. According to the criminal complaint, the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office was assigned an Adult Protection Investigation case on April 3, 2024. The investigation revealed that the missing money was transferred into an account owned by Lequia, the complaint said. Law enforcement interviewed Lequia on April 16, 2024. He said because the woman's medical conditions were "getting bad," she needed assistance with everyday tasks, like making dinner and doing laundry. Lequia lived with the woman but did not pay rent to her. Lequia told police he did not manage her money. Lequia said he was trying to help the woman pay seven years of unpaid taxes. He then admitted to taking money from the woman by using her online banking app on her phone. He said he spent the money at the Treasure Island Casino and in Las Vegas. In total, Lequia transferred $46,400 to his account from November 27, 2023, through March 24, 2024.
