Latest news with #StearnsCounty
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Charges coming for 2 graffiti artists who allegedly caused thousands in damage, St. Cloud police say
Some residents return to rubble as Minnesota wildfire evacuations end, and more headlines Some residents return to rubble as Minnesota wildfire evacuations end, and more headlines Some residents return to rubble as Minnesota wildfire evacuations end, and more headlines Police in central Minnesota say they have identified two graffiti artists responsible for thousands of dollars worth of damage over the last few months. The St. Cloud Police Department said charges are pending against a 22-year-old man and 16-year-old boy, whose primary graffiti tags are "BESH" and "VANISH," respectively. St. Cloud Police Department VANISH alone is a suspect in 15 vandalism cases resulting in more than $3,000 in damage, police said, with BESH believed responsible for thousands more. The Stearns County Attorney's Office is reviewing multiple cases for each suspect and felony charges are possible. "Graffiti will not be tolerated in this city and continued police resources will be utilized to seek criminal charges on any individual that wants to vandalize property within the City of St. Cloud," police said. Anyone with information about graffiti in the city is asked to call the police department at 320-251-1200 or contact Tri-County Crime Stoppers. St. Cloud Police Department Last week, police in St. Cloud warned of another recent crime trend: car thieves targeting Kias and Hyundais. After 30 thefts or attempts in the last few weeks, police recommend owners of those vehicles contact their manufacturers to fix security flaws and use a steering wheel lock to deter thieves.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man sentenced to life in prison for 2023 murder of Waite Park woman
A man has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2023 murder of a 52-year-old Waite Park woman. Jarquez Javon Bedford, 30, was sentenced Friday in Stearns County court. He was previously convicted on multiple counts — including 1st-degree premeditated murder — in the death of Andrea Cottew. Cottew was found dead inside her apartment on the 300 block of Park Meadows Drive during a police welfare check on Feb. 6, 2023. Her death wasn't ruled a homicide until six weeks later. According to the court documents, Cottew was found with cuts on her neck. Her phone, wallet, apartment keys and key fob were also missing, but the apartment door was locked. Surveillance footage later showed that a man, identified as Bedford, had been staying with another tenant on the third floor of the building. In the video, Beford can be seen knocking on the outside door of the building moments after Cottew entered the building around 12:12 p.m. on Feb. 5, 2023. Cottew was then seen letting him inside and talking with him as they started to walk toward her apartment on the first floor. Within an hour, Bedford was seen leaving through the back door of the apartment building with his sweatshirt inside out, according to court documents. He was then seen coming and going "for multiple hours," using Cottew's fob key, while Cottew wasn't seen on camera again. In an interview, Bedford changed his statement "repeatedly," at one point claiming someone he knew told him that they had assaulted and robbed Cottew. A DNA test matched Bedford to the knife found in the bedroom. His DNA was also found on Cottew's purse, a sweatshirt in the bedroom, a cigarette in the bedroom and a marijuana blunt in the living room.
CBS News
09-05-2025
- CBS News
Man sentenced to life in prison in Waite Park woman's death
A 30-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison for murdering a 52-year-old Waite Park woman in her apartment building in 2023. Following a trial, Jarquez Bedford was found guilty on Jan. 30 of premeditated first-degree murder, first-degree murder with intent while committing a felony and second-degree murder with intent. The Stearns County Attorney's Office says Bedford met the criteria for an aggravated sentence after he was found to be a dangerous offender. Charges say the woman, Andrea Cottew, entered her apartment building and let Bedford into the building after he knocked on the locked entry door. Within the hour, he was seen on surveillance video leaving the building through the back door with his sweatshirt turned inside out. Investigators learned Bedford had been staying with tenants of a separate apartment. A knife was found at the scene, and had DNA on it that matched the victim and Bedford, documents say.
