Conservation officer killed in tractor accident
FRAZEE — Authorities say a Minnesota state conservation officer has died after being pinned under his tractor near his home in Frazee.
The Becker County Sheriff’s Office said that Kyle K. Quittschreiber’s tractor rolled on a hill Friday and emergency responders declared him dead at the scene. Quittschreiber, 26, joined the Department of Natural Resources in 2016. He was assigned to the Detroit Lakes station.
Quittschreiber’s assignments included fishing and boating enforcement and monitoring bear baiting activity. He also assisted law enforcement in searching for a missing child and in finding illicit drugs that were thrown from a vehicle during a traffic stop.
Sheriff Todd Glander called Quittschreiber "a fine officer" who "will be truly missed."
ADVERTISEMENT
Alleged Native Mob member charged in attempted murder
ST. PAUL — A man who authorities say is a member of the Native Mob gang has been charged with attempting to kill someone in retaliation for that person’s testimony in an official court proceeding.
Dakota James Lafave, 29, of Fond du Lac was arraigned Friday in U.S. District Court on several counts, including attempted murder in aid of racketeering.
An indictment says Lafave, also known as "Biggs," used a gun to try to kill someone last October. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Lafave is a convicted felon and banned from having firearms.
Lafave’s attorney, William Michael Jr., said Friday that he had just met with Lafave and had no immediate comment.
Lafave remains in custody.
The Native Mob is an American Indian gang that authorities say carries out violent acts in Minnesota and other states.
Officials release ID of woman drowned in Cass County
ADVERTISEMENT
BACKUS — Authorities have released the name of a Wisconsin woman who died in an apparent drowning in a Minnesota lake.
The Cass County Sheriff’s Office said that Panhia Danielle Yang, 37, of Sheboygan was pulled from Ponto Lake in rural Backus on Aug. 18. She died at a hospital a day later.
Officials say she had been swimming near the shore when she was found to be not breathing.
2 face racketeering charges in retail theft operation
MINNEAPOLIS — Two Twin Cities men are facing racketeering charges after they were accused of stealing about $1 million worth of merchandise from area retailers and selling it on the internet.
Prosecutors say Randal Simmons stole from stores all over the metro, then Brian Bowling who would sell the items on eBay. The investigation began in late June when Woodbury police arrested Bowling after he left a J.C. Penney store with a $1,400 mattress.
Investigators say a wide variety of items were stolen, including vacuum cleaners from Walmart, $5,600 worth of blue jeans from Nordstrom, fish locators from Cabela’s, and fish filters from PetSmart.
Woodbury police say the men kept the stolen goods in apartment garages and a rented storage unit.
