BEMIDJI POLICE ARREST SUSPECT IN DEATH OF CHILD

On February 27th, 2014, at 6:23 a.m. the Bemidji Police Department, along with members of Bemidji Ambulance, Bemidji Fire and the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, responded to a weather related medical call at 924 Carter Circle SE, Bemidji, MN. Upon arrival officers discovered a 6 year old female who was unresponsive. She had signs of being exposed to the frigid elements and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The Bemidji Police Department has been working tirelessly to establish the details, timeline and cause for the exposure death of six year old Mercedes Mayfield. The Bemidji Police Detectives have worked closely with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, Beltrami County Social Services, Beltrami County Attorney’s Office and the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office to assure all evidence has been collected and processed during this exhaustive investigation.

 

On March 14^th Rachel Downer, age 22 of Bemidji, was arrested and booked for 2^nd degree Manslaughter and felony Neglect of a child. Rachel Downer is a cousin of Mercedes Mayfield.

 

Church Fundraiser Proceeds Stolen in Hubbard County Burglarly

The Hubbard County Sheriff's Office and the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are investigating a burglary at a residence in northern Hubbard County that occurred sometime between 2/9/2014 and 2/13/2014.

Taken was a money bag containing proceeds from a church fundraiser for the Knights of Columbus. The empty money bag was recovered in the area of Cass Lake and was turned into First National Bank in Bemidji, MN on 2/11/2014 by an unknown male party.

The MN BCA & the Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office are seeking the identity of the male individual that located the money bag in an effort to gather information on the location and time that the money bag was recovered. 

Any information regarding the identity of the male individual or information surrounding the burglary, please contact Deputy Bill Schlag with the Hubbard County Sheriff's Office at 888-732-3332.

 

Beltrami County Sheriffs Reports for March 5th

BELTRAMI COUNTY BURGLARY SUSPECTS ARRESTED

Clearwater Deputies responded to a residential burglary early Saturday morning.  Witnesses described a Toyota Tundra pickup leaving the scene which matched the description of a vehicle used in several burglaries in Beltrami and Cass Counties.  Mahnomen County deputies stopped the vehicle and arrested JOSHUA JAMES MARTIN, 29, Walker, JERMEY JAY MARTIN, 25, Walker, JASMINE LEE BELLCOURT, 19, Cass lake .  The suspects were found with items taken from the Clearwater burglary in their vehicle including a gun. 

 

Beltrami Investigators and Cass County deputies went to the suspect's residence near Walker, MN with a search warrant and recovered stolen items from several Beltrami County, Cass County and Mahnomen Counties Burglaries.  Several guns, pick-ups full of stolen property, a stolen trailer and approximately one ounce of methamphetamine were seized from the suspect's house.  The suspects are currently in custody in Clearwater County on Burglary charges while the cases are being reviewed by the county attorneys of Beltrami, Cass and Mahnomen Counties.

 

Victims of these burglaries are being contacted today by investigators to meet with investigators at the law enforcement center and recover their stolen property .

 

The success of this investigation is due to the great teamwork exhibited by Clearwater, Mahnomen, Cass and Beltrami County Sheriff's Offices.

 

Sheriff Phil Hodapp

 

Strong winds and blowing snow create difficult driving conditions in west central Minnesota

ST. CLOUD Minn. – (3:45 p.m.) The Minnesota Department of Transportation advises motorists to drive with caution in west central Minnesota, including Stearns County and surrounding areas, due to blowing snow and scattered slippery spots.

Most roads in the region currently are in fair driving condition, but motorists should be aware that conditions could change quickly.

 

Officials do not anticipate any interstate or highway closures at this time; however, motorists may encounter brief lane and road closures where crashes occur.

SNOWMOBILE CRASH CLAIMS THE LIFE OF BEMIDJI MAN

 

                On Saturday, December 28, 2013, at 4:46 AM, the Beltrami County Sheriff's 911 Center received a 911 call reporting a crashed snowmobile along the roadside of the 4900 block of Sherman Dr NE, located on the east side of Lake Bemidji , within the Bemidji city limits.

 

Responding to the scene were Bemidji Police Department officers and Beltrami County Sheriff's deputies.  Despite life saving measures taken by emergency responders, the driver of the snowmobile, Seth Ryan, age 23 of Bemidji, was pronounced dead at the scene.  Mr. Ryan had struck a mailbox, telephone pedestal and several trees before coming to rest in the north ditch of Sherman Dr NE.  It appears that Mr. Ryan was riding solo.

 

                Assisting with the accident were the Bemidji Fire Department, Bemidji Ambulance and Minnesota State Patrol. No further information is available at this time.

 

 

James Marcotte, Captain

Bemidji Police Department

 

SCAM INVOLVING FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF WALKER

The Beltrami County Sheriff's 911 Dispatch Center is receiving numerous phone calls regarding text messages that have been sent to cell phone owners that say:  "Your bank account has been compromised. Please contact First National Bank of Walker at 218-252-8142 or 218-296-7222."

THIS IS A SCAM.  Do not text a reply to this or call the numbers listed.  Instead see your banker in person at the bank in Walker or call their business line on Monday which is (218) 547-1160.  In addition, this is NOT the First National Bank of Bemidji. The bank in Walker is taking steps to attempt to identify who perpetrated this scam. Be advised that even those who are not customers of the bank are getting these messages.   We also ask that you not call the Law Enforcement Center in Bemidji regarding this scam.  Our Dispatch Center has received over a 100 calls and it is flooding our lines.  We are experiencing a typically busy pre-holiday weekend with domestic violence incidents and other crimes.