Walking a Fine Kline

A skater who fell through thin ice was pulled from Medicine Lake in Plymouth Sunday and rushed to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale (The Star Tribune).

The man was found in the water about 3 p.m. after another skater spotted a hat floating in the water and called police at 1:50 p.m., the Hennepin County Sheriff's Water Patrol reported.

When pulled from the water, the man had no pulse and was not responsive to resuscitation attempts, but authorities offered no more information about his condition Sunday evening (The Star Tribune).

Water Patrol personnel found him about 600 yards from shore, said Sgt. Chris Mathisen of the Sheriff's Department.

The area where he was skating, near French Regional Park off Rockford Road, had been open water on Saturday and froze overnight, Mathisen said.

He said ice fishermen on the lake Sunday reported the ice in their area as 4 to 6 inches thick.

Posted by kline130 at 3:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Students and staff members at a private Faribault college preparatory school are mourning a dorm director and teacher who shot himself to death on campus Friday night (Star Tribune).

Len Jones, 34, was alone in his faculty apartment in Breck Hall at Shattuck-St.Mary's School when he fired a handgun around 9 p.m., said Sgt. Rich Watkins of the Faribault Police Department.

No one witnessed the shooting, but several boys in grades seven through nine were in the residence hall and heard the shot. They were quickly taken to another area of the school as adults rushed to help Jones, said Amy Wolf, a spokeswoman for the school of about 400 middle- and high school students (The Examiner).

Outside the classroom, there was a general awareness that he was dealing with marital issues and struggling with emotional and personal issues, but nobody saw the suicide coming (Star Tribune).

An all-school assembly will be held Monday.

Posted by kline130 at 3:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jayna Emerson, girlfriend of a suspected shooter, publicly pleaded Monday for her boyfriend to turn himself in to police in Sunday's fatal shooting of her 15-year-old cousin in St. Paul (Pioneer Press).

Police said Sunday the suspected shooter is Alfredo Gutierrez-Gonzales, 19, of St. Paul. He has been dating Emerson for three years, and he sometimes stayed at the home where MacKenzie was killed.

Investigators want to talk to Gutierrez-Gonzales to find out what happened and why, said Peter Panos, a St. Paul police spokesman.

Officers were called to 582 Concord St. after someone there reported gunshots fired at 12:27 a.m. Sunday, police said. MacKenzie was on the floor with a gunshot wound to his upper body. Paramedics tried to revive the teen
but he died at the scene. About 10 people were in the home when MacKenzie was shot, Panos said (Pioneer Press).
A police dog tracked the gun used in the shooting, a semi-automatic rifle, to a wooded area about five blocks away, off U.S. 52, and officers recovered it, Panos said.

Gutierrez-Gonzales is on probation for a year for a July conviction in Dakota County for misdemeanor theft.

In July 2005, when Gutierrez-Gonzales was 16, he was charged with motor vehicle theft in Ramsey County. He pleaded guilty, was put on supervised probation and ordered to do community service (Pioneer Press).

Posted by kline130 at 11:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In Mankato, Minn., a former police officer must pay a $200 fine and be on probation for a year after pleading guilty to faking the arrest of an 18-year-old woman (The Star Tribune).

Steven Patrick Boyle, who had worked part time for the police department serving Amboy and Vernon Center, resigned in August after the July incident (Pioneer Press).

Authorities say Boyle, told the 18-year-old woman she would be released if she flashed her breasts. He was in uniform and driving a squad car at the time.

Assistant Blue Earth County attorney Chris Rovney says Boyle was sentenced for just a misdemeanor crime.
Rovney says it will be difficult for the 23-year-old to be hired as a police officer again (The Star Tribune).

Posted by kline130 at 11:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A 39-year-old Robbinsdale man convicted of criminal sexual conduct almost 10 years ago has been charged with molesting an 11-year-old girl he met online (The Star Tribune).

Dennis Roy White faces one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct in Dakota County District Court stemming from an incident alleged to have happened last month.

According to the charges, investigators spoke with an 11-year-old girl who said she met White at an Apple Valley park after chatting with him online. At the park, White kissed the girl and touched her chest and inside her pants, the girl told police (The Star Tribune).

The girl had a friend with her, who told police White met them at the swing set and then walked into a wooded area with the girl.

White told police he had met a female online and went to the park to meet her, the charges said. When he arrived and saw the ages of the girls, he said, he drove away.

In 1999, White was convicted in Hennepin County of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. He is now in the Dakota County jail in lieu of $400,000 bail, according to an article in the Star Tribune.

Posted by kline130 at 1:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

St. Paul police say a juvenile male is dead following an early morning shooting on St. Paul's west side (The Star
Tribune).

Police were called to the 500 block of Concord St. about 12:30 a.m. today after a report of shots fired, according to a statement by Peter T. Panos, public information coordinator of the St. Paul police.

When they arrived, they found the victim on the floor with a gunshot wound.

St. Paul Fire Department paramedics arrived, but were unable to revive him, and he died at the scene.

The victim lived in the home where he was found. He is not being identified until family members are notified.

Police have no one in custody. The Homicide and Gang Units are investigating the case (Pioneer Press).

Posted by kline130 at 12:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Lakeville teenager seriously injured along with her sister in a Wednesday car crash has died (The Pioneer Press).
Kayla Jo Borgerson, 17, "was not able to survive the multiple, traumatic injuries she sustained from the crash," her parents, Keith and Sue Borgerson, said in a statement released Saturday morning. The family plans to donate her organs.

"This was Kayla's wish, and now her legacy of caring for others will live on," the statement said.
Kayla's sister, Katie Borgerson, 15, remains in serious condition at Hennepin County Medical Center's pediatric intensive care unit (The Star Tribune).

The teens were injured when the car they were driving collided with a pickup truck around 6 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Juniper Path and 205th Avenue S., Lakeville Police Chief Tom Vonhof said (The Star Tribune).

Kayla was driving and making a turn from Juniper Path onto 205th Avenue when the crash happened. Initial reports indicate that she pulled in front of the eastbound pickup truck driven by Brandon Pekel, 25.

Pekel was not seriously hurt. He is not facing any charges.

Posted by kline130 at 1:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Authorities on Sunday called the husband of a slain woman and their son "a person of interest" in the killings (The Pioneer Press).
Dodge County Sheriff Gary Thompson identified them Sunday morning as 12-year-old Ismael Nicholas Bugarin and 27-year-old Teresa Bugarin. The boy was stabbed; the mother's cause of death has not been released (The Star Tribune).Two younger siblings were taken to a Rochester hospital by ambulance Saturday night for treatment of knife wounds. Their conditions have not been released.

The sheriff describes the children's 33-year-old father as a person of interest in the case. He was flown to a Rochester hospital where he remained Sunday. He was not immediately arrested and his condition has not been released.

Thompson said Saturday night that said the stabbings at the Valley View Mobile Home Park were domestic. He said everyone involved had been accounted for. He also said the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension would investigate the case.

Two daughters of Teresa Bugarin also were injured in Saturday's incident and were in St. Marys Hospital in Rochester hospital with knife wounds. Their names and ages were not immediately released, but the sheriff described them as preteens.

The boy and mother died at the scene. The girls were taken to the hospital, while Teresa Bugarin's husband, who's the children's father, was flown by helicopter to St. Marys.

Although the sheriff called the 33-year-old man "a person of interest," he was not under arrest as of Sunday afternoon. The cause of the parents' injuries was not immediately released, nor were his condition or those of the two girls (The Pioneer Press).

Posted by kline130 at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The St. Paul Pioneer Press newspaper received a suspicious package labeled "anthrax" Saturday, but initial tests have determined the white powder is sugar, police reported (Star Tribune).

St. Paul police spokesman Pete Crum said the material will still be sent on to the FBI, U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for investigation.

The envelope contained a CD with a photo of Gen. Colin Powell labeled "Anthrax Shock and Awe Terror" and a white, sugar-like package taped to the top labeled "Anthrax" and "Biohazard."

He said the package was received late Saturday afternoon and by 6 p.m. fire investigators had determined the substance was sugar (Star Tribune).

Saturday's incident was the latest in a string of mailings that have hit newspapers around the country, including the Star Tribune, which received a similar package Thursday.

It was stated in a Pioneer Press article that Marc M. Keyser, 66, of Sacramento, sent more than 120 envelopes containing a compact disc that had a packet of sugar labeled "Anthrax Sample" along with a biohazard symbol. The CD was titled "Anthrax: Shock & Awe Terror."

Crum said no one was injured and no arrests were made Saturday in the St. Paul incident.

Posted by kline130 at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A professor has confessed on a national blog to stealing Republican presidential campaign signs in Northfield, Minn. according to and article in the Pioneer Press.

Philip Busse wrote about the thefts on Huffington Post, a liberal news Web site and blog in a post dated Thursday. He is a visiting professor in the theater department at St. Olaf College in Northfield.

In the article titled "Confessions of a Lawn Sign Stealer," Busse admits to stealing seven McCain/Palin lawn signs along Hwy. 19 near St. Olaf.

In an e-mail to the Northfield News, Busse expressed remorse, saying it was "immature and impetuous." He says he is disappointed most readers have focused on the thefts and not the larger issues of his writing.

"This was stupid. It was immature. It's illegal. I am taking responsibility for all of my actions,'' Busse said. "I regret it has brought some focus to the college, because they have nothing to do with this�(Star Tribune).

Steve Blodgett, director of marketing and communications at St. Olaf, said Busse is on campus for one semester to teach a single class (Star Tribune). "His actions ... are in direct conflict with the college's values and mission, and we do not in any way condone them.''

The Northfield Police Department says stealing political yard signs is treated as a misdemeanor, but complainants rarely decide to pursue charges (Pioneer Press).

Posted by kline130 at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A driver who died after a crashing a car through construction barricades and plunging onto a closed section of Interstate 35W in south Minneapolis has been identified (The StarTribune).

The Hennepin County medical examiner's office said Sunday that the driver was Jose Joel Guerra, a 33-year-old resident of north Minneapolis. The news release said he was also known as Jorge Sandoval.

Details were scarce about the accident, which occurred at 5:30 a.m. Saturday at the 46th Street bridge.

The driver of a 1991 Buick Regal drove through barriers into a construction zone on I-35W at 46th Street about 5:30 a.m., the report said (The Pioneer Press).

The driver died at the scene.

Interstate 35W is closed all weekend from downtown Minneapolis to Crosstown Hwy. 62; it is expected to reopen by 5 a.m. Monday.

Posted by kline130 at 12:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Richfield man has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly driving his sport utility vehicle into the ex-boyfriend of a woman he was dating, St. Paul police say (The StarTribune).

The victim, David Ramirez, 46, of St. Paul, was struck and killed while standing in a North End area street early Tuesday, talking to the woman whom both men knew.

Moises A. Nieves, 36, told police that he was just trying to protect the woman from Ramirez, who he says forced the woman to have sex with him on previous occasions, according to the criminal complaint filed against Nieves Thursday in Ramsey County District Court

Both Nieves and the woman, who had been sitting in a separate sport utility vehicle, left the scene after Ramirez was struck. She told police that she'd "blacked out" and when she awoke she drove home.

Ramirez was dead by the time a passerby came upon the body about 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Posted by kline130 at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to an article in the Star Tribune, Jeff Dubay, a talk show host on KFAN (1130 AM) was arrested by Maplewood police about 10 p.m. Wednesday on suspicion of fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance, a felony.

He has not been charged; police are investigating.

The arrest occurred after Dubay, driving west on state Hwy. 36, turned north onto English Street in Maplewood, Police Chief David Thomalla said Friday.

Because the case still was under investigation, he added, police were providing no details about why the vehicle was stopped, or what drug might be involved.

Dubay was booked into the Ramsey County jail, and later released pending further investigation.
Police hope to complete the investigation next week, the chief said (Star Tribune).

Dubay co-hosts the "PA and Dubay Show" with Paul Allen weekdays from 9 a.m.-noon. He also co-hosts Vikings post-game shows on KFAN and is on the air for Gophers hockey games on FSN North.

Posted by kline130 at 1:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A man was shot and wounded by police early Friday after he pointed a pistol at officers chasing him in a downtown parking ramp, Minneapolis police said.

Jesse Matthius Leclaire Kienitz, 24, was in satisfactory condition at Hennepin County Medical Center. He has been charged with second-degree assault, a felony, in connection with the incident (Star Tribune).

The officer who fired, Sgt. Darah Westermeyer, is on standard paid administrative leave with three other witness officers, pending an internal investigation.

According to police and charges filed Friday in Hennepin County District Court, Kienitz was the suspect in an assault reported just after 2:20 a.m. at 10 S. 5th St. When police arrived, they found a victim with a head injury.

Officers looking for the attackers went into a parking ramp at 19 S. 4th St., where a witness directed them to a green sport-utility vehicle carrying the suspects. When police stopped the vehicle, witnesses pointed out additional suspects in a red sedan (Star Tribune).

After officers stopped that car, Kienitz got out and ran, dropping a handgun. Kienitz picked up the weapon and pointed it at Westermeyer, who, fearing for his safety, fired, according to Sgt. William Palmer (Pioneer Press).

Kienitz ran with Westermeyer and other officers in pursuit. When he turned and again pointed his pistol at police, Westermeyer fired and Kienitz collapsed, police said.

Kienitz was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center with wounds to his torso and midsection. The wounds did not appear to be life-threatening.

None of the four officers at the scene was injured. Investigators had the intersection of 4th Street and Hennepin Avenue closed during the start of the morning rush hour.

Posted by kline130 at 3:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A review panel has found that disputed stem cell research at the University of Minnesota contained flaws and false data, according to an online article published Tuesday by New Scientist.

The university is seeking to retract a 2001 article in the research journal Blood. The article outlined how stem cells obtained from adult bone marrow could be coaxed into producing various tissues in the body (The Pioneer Press).

A summary of the expert panel's findings was disclosed to New Scientist, which raised questions about the validity of the Blood paper through its own investigation last year. The university panel found that images had been manipulated in a way that altered the outcomes of the published research, according to the New Scientist article.

A former university doctoral student, Morayma Reyes, was responsible for the manipulated images, according to New Scientist. This is the second internal review by the university into the groundbreaking adult stem cell research conducted at the U under the leadership of Dr. Catherine Verfaillie (The Pioneer Press).

Verfaillie said she "did not notice the problems," which came to light in a university probe disclosed Tuesday (The Star Tribune).

"I am extremely sorry about this," said Verfaillie, who headed the university's stem-cell institute from 1999 to 2006 (The Star Tribune).

The U's research results at the time contradicted existing scientific wisdom that adult stem cells had limited utility and could only produce limited tissue types.

According to the Pioneer Press, Verfaillie remains connected to U research, but has moved to an academic institution in Belgium. According to New Scientist, the university panel faulted her poor training and oversight of Reyes, who is now at the University of Washington.

Posted by kline130 at 2:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Police are looking for three men who entered a downtown Minneapolis chiropractic office Tuesday and tied up and robbed the owner and several customers who walked in.

One of the intuders was wearing a Halloween mask, similar to the one worn in the movie "Scream," when they went into Loring Park Chiropractic at about 10:30 a.m. (Pioneer Press).

As they tied up the owner, three other people came into the clinic. All of the victims were tied up and robbed of wallets, jewelry and keys.

The owner was shot in the head with a BB gun the robbers were using, but he was not seriously injured, Garcia said (The Star Tribune).

Posted by kline130 at 5:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A 51-year-old St. Paul woman died Saturday, about seven hours after her bicycle and a sport-utility vehicle collided near Summit and Snelling Avenues. This is an area that is popular with bicyclists, according to the article in the StarTribune.

Virginia Heuerbowar was wearing a helmet when she was hit at 8:10 a.m., said Pete Panos, a spokesman for St. Paul police.

Heuerbowar was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul with severe head injuries and died there about 3 p.m.

Panos said Heuerbowar had been riding east on Summit Avenue from Snelling.

A 39-year-old Minneapolis man told police he was eastbound and had stopped at a stop sign where the road merges onto Summit.

"He stopped and accelerated, and all of a sudden, she was in front of him," Panos said the man had told police.

There were no independent witnesses, Panos said. No tickets were issued to the driver. The accident remains under investigation.

According to an article by the Pioneer Press marked 9/22, another bicyclist died after being struck by a vehicle in Blaine.

A driver westbound on Clover Leaf Parkway struck the bicyclist, who was traveling north on Central Avenue Northeast.

The 63-year-old bicyclist from Blaine died at the scene.

The driver, a 40-year-old East Bethel man, cooperated with authorities, Blaine Police Chief Chris Olson said.

*It is interesing to note that the Pionner Press did not cover the death of the 51-year-old woman; this was a story that has potential and interest to readers. A follow-up story on bike safety also could have been issued.*

Posted by kline130 at 3:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Minneapolis police have made an arrest in the shooting death of an Augsburg College student outside a community center in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood (Pioneer Press).

Police say a 16-year-old male is being held while the case is reviewed by the Hennepin County attorney's office.

Twenty-year-old Ahmed Nur Ali, a Somali-American and political science major, was gunned down last Monday outside the Brian Coyle Community Center, where he had just started as a volunteer tutor to young children.

According to an article in the StarTribune, it stated that Ali was involved in an "interpersonal dispute," words were exchanged and the juvenile shot Ali, police said.

Investigators said the arrest came after witnesses came forward with information.

The neighborhood is home to many Somali immigrants, and the center and nearby Currie Park are popular gathering places for many community residents.

Posted by kline130 at 2:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Romel Jones Jr. was killed and two other men were wounded during a dispute between two groups shortly after midnight Wednesday at Blondie's Sports Bar and Grill.

Another man suffered a gunshot wound and was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. A third man was assaulted and suffered blunt-force injuries (Pioneer Press).

According to an article in the StarTribune, relatives and friends of a 19-year-old man shot and killed on the patio of a Brooklyn Park bar showed up at a police news conference Wednesday afternoon, some asking why the bar can't be shut down.

Mayor Steve Lampi said later that the City Council needs to get the facts about the shooting to "see what kind of action might be warranted." He said he thought the bar had improved by hiring off-duty police officers on weekends. "I know the bar had a lot of calls for service," he said (StarTribune).

City records show Blondie's, at 7459 Brooklyn Blvd., had 221 calls for service in 2006, 215 in 2007 and 156 so far this year (StarTribune). Assaults and serious threats accounted for 40, 25 and 28 calls, respectively.

Police are looking for three or four men seen leaving the bar but that two men were arrested for the assault. The shooting escalated from a dispute between two groups at the bar, but he didn't think the killing was gang-related.
It was unclear if Jones was targeted.

(*It is interesting to note that the Pioneer Press did not have as much information as the StarTribune did; this is noteworthy considering the StarTribune went in-depth with this story, whereas the Pioneer Press had little information to contribute).

Posted by kline130 at 3:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A St. Paul man convicted of throwing a kitten against a wall during an argument with his girlfriend, was sentenced to seven months in jail (Pioneer Press).

Scott Michael Turner threw the kitten, Nilla, who was severely injured and had to be euthanized. Turner hurled the kitten against the wall. He stated during trial that the cat had fallen off his shoulder and he accidentally stepped on it. He is not allowed to have pets.

Turner, 29, also must complete inpatient drug treatment. Convicted of felony cruelty to an animal, he must stay completely away from drugs and alcohol and make restitution to the kitten's owner, with whom he is allowed no contact.

Turner was arguing with his pregnant girlfriend on May 12 in their apartment at 1034 Suburban Ave. in St. Paul because she wanted to keep on playing with the cat and Turner wanted to return it to its owner, Lisa Lewis. Lewis lived across the hall (Pioneer Press).

Ramsey County District Judge Margaret Marrinan also ordered Turner to pay $292.50 in restitution to the kitten's owner, but noted that the owner had written that she wanted the money to go to a veterinary hospital to help another sick animal (StarTribune).

Posted by kline130 at 3:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A delegate to the Republican National Convention was robbed of up to $150,000 in jewelry and accessories at a downtown Minneapolis hotel during the convention (StarTribune).

"It's very, very, very rare," Minneapolis Police Sgt. William Palmer said. "I can think of a couple of burglaries where we had that much stolen, but it's the first time I've heard of this kind of deal," (Pioneer Press).

According to the StarTribune, the man, a member of the Colorado delegation, had been at a party earlier in the evening, After the night's events, the man went to the Hotel Ivy, where he met a woman and invited her up to his room. Police believe he was drugged at some point.

The woman took off with a cell phone, cash, jewelry and expensive clothing valued at between $50,000 and $150,000, Palmer said (Pioneer Press).

Palmer said the case remains under investigation, but there is no indication that the incident was related to prostitution (StarTribune).

Posted by kline130 at 5:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anthony DiLoreto, the former Hopkins basketball star accused in a Wisconsin bank robbery, has put his college plans on hold, his attorney said Friday.

DiLoreto, 18, made his first appearance Friday in Burnett County Circuit Court.

Charges stem from Diloreto's alleged plan to have driven the getaway car for a 16-year-old boy, who was carrying a shotgun believed to belong to Diloreto when he robbed a Bremer Bank in Danbury Aug. 16, authorities said. The plan was for the 16-year-old to rob the bank while Diloreto waited outside to drive the getaway vehicle (Star Tribune).
Police arrested the 16-year-old suspect about 45 minutes after the robbery as he walked in a field near Danbury, which is across the St. Croix River and about 100 miles northeast of the Twin Cities (Pioneer Press).
Diloreto was arrested at his family's Minnetonka home several hours after the incident. He was later extradited to Wisconsin, where he was released from jail Aug. 26 on $5,000 cash and $12,000 bond. According to the StarTribune, DiLoreto, who was a 7-foot center for Hopkins High School last year, had earned a scholarship this year to play at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

DiLoreto is taking community college classes online, continuing his volunteer work and looking for a job, Nelson said. His preliminary hearing has been set for Oct. 16 (Pioneer Press).

Posted by kline130 at 1:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Minneapolis police are investigating a knife attack that left three people hospitalized early Saturday morning, two of them with stab wounds to the chest. Police say the motives are unclear and that robbery does not appear to be a motive (Pioneer Press).

Minneapolis police Sgt. Bill Palmer said the incident occurred at 2:48 a.m. in front of the Taco Bell at 215 E. Lake Street, near the intersection of 3rd Avenue S. and E. Lake Street (StarTribune).

Emergency responders arrived to find three victims lying in the street. A 26-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman were stabbed in the chest, and a 24-year-old woman was stabbed in the arm. According to an article in the StarTribune, all three were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where their conditions were unknown. The two stabbed in the chest were seriously injured, Palmer said.

He said witnesses described the suspects only as a man and a woman, who fled the scene.

Posted by kline130 at 1:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)