Minnesota Legal Blog

Throughout history, many people in Minnesota and elsewhere have gotten away with various crimes. However, most of them didn't make the mistake of drawing unwanted attention to themselves by taunting that they would "never be caught" on social media.

On Oct. 8, a 31-year-old woman wanted on 16 outstanding warrants was arrested in Michigan City, Indiana. She was taken into custody after members of the Twin Cities Apprehension Team found Facebook posts in which she claimed that she would "never" be apprehended for her alleged crimes. The team posted several of her messages on its Facebook page and began looking for her, searching various properties in North Dakota and Minnesota before locating her in northern Indiana. She was found less than 24 hours after TCAT officers posted her messages. A local informant reportedly told authorities where she was hiding out.

Minnesota football fans may be interested to learn that Aaron Neary, currently a center on the Los Angeles Rams practice squad, was detained for driving while intoxicated on Sept. 16. The incident occurred in Simi Valley, Calif., during the early evening hours. Local police were alerted to the alleged incident when 911 calls began coming in claiming that a person was driving their vehicle erratically.

Witnesses alleged that the individual driving the vehicle had crashed into multiple objects, including mailboxes, trash cans and a bus stop sign. Furthermore, the motorist continued to drive erratically after the collisions. Officers located the vehicle and pulled over Neary, who was believed to be drunk after a Breathalyzer field test was administered. He blew a BAC level of .17 percent, which is more than twice the legal limit.

The Dakota County attorney's office issued an arrest warrant for a 59-year-old man from Rosemount this spring for his role in a serious four-vehicle accident on U.S. Highway 52. His arrest took place in July, and he remains jailed at the Dakota County Jail with bail set at $250,000.

The man has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 1979. This includes 17 DWI convictions, theft, carrying a gun without a permit, disorderly conduct and domestic assault. He currently faces extensive charges that include first-degree DWI, gross-misdemeanor for driving with a canceled license and felony criminal vehicular operation that caused great bodily harm.

Authorities have reported that a 51-year-old woman was charged with both driving while under the influence of alcohol and drug possession following a routine traffic stop on the evening of Feb. 10. A subsequent breath test is said to have established that the woman's blood alcohol content was actually below Minnesota's .08 percent legal driving limit. Media accounts indicate that the woman was transported to the Washington County Jail after being taken into custody at the scene.

A state trooper pulled the woman's car over on Interstate 494 in the vicinity of 10th Street after responding to reports of an erratic driver in the area of Valley Creek Road. Upon approaching the vehicle, the trooper detected the odor of alcohol and noticed that the woman's eyes were watery and bloodshot. Reports indicate that the woman had difficulty maintaining her balance when exiting her vehicle.