RIVER FALLS Police Department Reports

The following incidents were reported to River Falls Police Department April 20 through May 2.

Wednesday, April 20

Ovcers responded to a two-vehicle crash at 2:12 p.m. in the 100 block of North Main Street between a 2020 Honda CRV, driven by Joseph E. Lewinski, 71, River Falls, and a legally parked 2017 Subaru Outback, owned by Julie Ann Walton, River Falls. Lewinski was attempting to park behind Walton and struck her vehicle while performing his parking maneuver. The Honda had no damage, while the Outback had minor damage.

No injuries were reported.

Thursday, April 21

A River Falls resident reported a phone internet scam at 8:37 a.m. The resident said on March 13 a pop-up appeared on his computer with a phone number to call, locking the computer. He called the number for Alpha Software Support and agreed to make a one-time payment of $1,899.98 for “lifetime security and support” for all devices after they unlocked it. He sent the payment via check to a Buford, GA address. The bank is working with the complainant to get his money back. The police ovcer said this particular group of cyber criminals also goes by the following names: HelloGeeks, LivelpSupport. com, LiveNetworkHelp. com, GizmoHelp.net, Soft-wareProConsulting. com, HomeSoftSolution.com, PC Safe Network, Technet Securities LLC, Digyleap, OmegaSoftwareSolution. com, OmegaInfotek Cloud Inc., Cyberroam IP Solutions and others.

Sunday, April 24

Police responded to a two-vehicle crash at noon in the McDonald’s drive-thru at 1505 Paulson Road between a 2006 Volvo S40, driven by Davis Charles Earl Wheadon, 16, River Falls, and a 2014 Ford Explorer, driven by Daniel Oscar Larson Schulze, 38, Baldwin. Wheadon was behind Schulze in the drive-thru and struck Schulze’s backend. Wheadon said he was looking in the back seat and thought the vehicle was in park. Both vehicles had minor damage. Both drivers wore seat belts and reported no injuries, as well as passenger Ayden Timothy Peterson, 17, Prescott (in Wheadon’s vehicle) and an 8-year-old in Schulze’s vehicle.

Monday, April 25 A 13-year-old Meyer Middle School student was cited $98.80 for habitual truancy at 10 a.m. The student had five unexcused absences be tween Jan. 25 and April 22.

A 16-year-old River Falls High School student was cited $98.80 for habitual truancy at 7:35 a.m. The student had 11 unexcused absences between March 10 and April 25.

A 15-year-old River Falls High School student was cited $98.80 for habitual truancy at 12:02 p.m. The student had five unexcused absences between Feb. 21 and April 13.

Jesse Lynn Noble Alexander, 21, River Falls, called police at 6:14 p.m. to surrender himself for an Amery warrant. Police picked him up at 109 E. Walnut St. and transported him to St. Croix County Jail without incident.

Jorge Omar Jaimes Almazan, 36, River Falls, was arrested and cited $861 for OWI, $861 for operating with PAC and $124 for operate without valid license af- ter a travc stop at 1:47 a.m. at Kwik Trip (1200 S. Main St.) While on patrol, an of- ficer saw Almazan's vehicle make an illegal stop in the left turn lane at South Main and Cascade Avenue. When the light turned green, the vehicle accelerated abruptly and rode the center line while heading south on Main.

When attempting to turn left into Kwik Trip, the vehicle was in the opposite lane of travc for approximately 50 feet. Almazan told police he had had one beer after work and didn’t have his driver’s license with him. Police had a tough time identifying him due to Almazan’s use of fake ID cards from California.

They were able to identify him after contacting his wife, who provided a photo of his birth certificate from Mexi –

co. After failing field sobri ety tests and registering an intoximeter reading of 0.12, Almazan was booked and released into his wife’s custody.

Wednesday, April 27

At 10:34 a.m., the school resource ovcer was ap proached by a student in the Meyer Middle School (230 N. Ninth St.) cafeteria. Another student had attached a red (marker) tampon to the back of his sweatshirt without him knowing. The ouender had also done the same thing to another student earlier in the day. The ouender's mother was called and the student cited $98.80 for disorderly conduct.

Ovcers responded at 10:53 a.m. to River Falls High School (818 Cemetery Road) for a fight that had occurred. Two juveniles threw punches and both were injured. The fight had been brewing for awhile, both said, due to one student believing the other scammed them out of $60.

Both students were cited $187 for disorderly conduct and one student was cited $73.60 minor possess or purchases tobacco/nicotine after school ovcials found numer ous vaporizer containers and paraphernalia in the student’s locker and vehicle. Some of the products had contained THC.

Police responded to a two-vehicle crash at 1:07 p.m. in front of the Post Of- fice (208 N. Second St.) be tween a 2007 Mercury Milan, driven by Jason Robert Walz, 52, River Falls, and a 2010 Ford F150, driven by Matthew Allen Proehl,

21, Minnesota Lake, Minn.

Proehl was traveling north on Second Street while Walz was exiting the post ovce parking lot, taking a left turn to head south on Second Street. As Walz attempted to turn, Proehl struck his rear driver’s side. Both men said a large RV blocked the view.

Walz said he crept out of the parking lot and thought he was clear. Both vehicles had functional damage. Both drivers and Walz’s passenger, Tyler J. Stewart, 29, River Falls, wore seat belts and reported no injuries.

At 1:18 p.m., police were called to River Falls High School (818 Cemetery Road) for a student who had showed others students a knife they had in their backpack during lunch. The suspect denied making homicidal or suicidal comments when showing others the knife and said they’d had it in their backpack for a couple of weeks to cut food for lunch. The student was apologetic and emphatic that it had been a joke.

The student’s parent was asked to pick up the student and school ovcials agreed to perform a threat assessment before the student is allowed to return.

At 7:43 p.m., a complainant reported a dog bite that had occurred at Houman Park (547 Hanson Drive).

A man went to the park to play Frisbie golf with friends and one brought his German Shepherd. When he turned his back for a moment, the dog lunged and bit him in the back. The dog’s owner said he’s not normally aggressive and is going through training.

The victim went to Hudson Hospital to get checked out.

The dog’s rabies vaccinations are current. A St. Croix County animal quarantine order was issued.

Thursday, April 28

An ovcer followed up on a fraud/theft complaint at 9 a.m. with an employee at River Falls Sales and Sport.

The employee said a woman had come into the business at 10:52 a.m. April 12 after being pre-approved to purchase a vehicle over a credit application. She arrived by Uber from the Twin Cities and wore a mask the entire time.

She provided pay stubs and a driver’s license and left a few hours later after paperwork was completed with a 2016 Ford Taurus. Four days later, the bank reported the transaction had been fraudulent and that the woman may have been impersonating someone else. Police were able to connect with a Freeborn, Minn., woman who said someone had stolen her identity and opened multiple accounts and loans in her name, including the one for the Ford Taurus. She provided police with information and RF Sales and Sport was able to provide video surveillance footage. The vehicle was entered into the system as stolen. St. Paul Police recovered the vehicle on April 21 when a woman named Lisa Marie Neuman, 40, attempted to fraudulently purchase a vehicle at a car dealership in St.

Paul. She had the Ford Taurus with her. She was taken to Ramsey County Jail.

Police responded to a two-vehicle crash at 9:07 a.m. at in the 700 block of Sunset Lane between a 2005 Buick Terraza, driven by Heidi Lynn Sundman-Hetchler, 50, River Falls, and legally parked 2004 GMC Envoy, owned by Jazmin Lynn Slaughter, River Falls. Sundman-Hetchler was heading west on Sunset Lane; when she reached down for a drink, she veered into the parking lane and struck the GMC. Both vehicles had functional damage.

Sundman-Hetchler wore a seat belt and reported no injuries.

Friday, April 29

At 4:07 p.m., an ovcer responded to 115 N. Dallas St. for a possible stolen vehicle report. A man there had agreed to give a 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe to another man, as long as the vehicle’s rims were returned to him. When he arrived home Wednesday, the truck was gone and a 2002 Honda VT750CC was in its place, but it looked like many of the parts were missing. He was worried it was stolen. Police helped him sort out the matter and the situation was resolved.

At 11 p.m., two underage volunteers helped police conduct alcohol compliance checks at Emma’s Bar (222 S. Main St.), Nutty Squirrel (110 S. Main St.), Bold (106 N. Main St.) and Maverick’s Corner Saloon (128 N. Main St.) A bartender at Maverick’s served one of the minors a beer without asking for an ID, which they reported to police. Amber Marie Walter, 21, Poynette, was cited the following day for selling alcohol to an underage person.

Saturday, April 30

While on patrol at 2:14 a.m., an ovcer saw a car with its lights on parked at Houman Park (547 Hanson Drive) after hours. When police approached the vehicle, it smelled heavily of marijuana. Inside was a 16-yearold Ellsworth juvenile and a 16-year-old River Falls juvenile. During a vehicle search, police found a vape, vape juice, marijuana shake on the seats, in the ash tray and in the trunk, stems and a small blunt. The Ellsworth teen said their mom allows them to vape. The teen was cited $73.60 for minor possesses or purchases tobacco/ nicotine and warned for being out past curfew on a probationary license. The River Falls teen was released into the custody of their mom.

At 9:56 a.m., a resident in the 300 block of Lewis Street reported receiving disturbing phone threats from a family member. Police agreed to provide extra patrol.

Police were called at 11:41 a.m. to 122 ½ W. Cascade Ave. for a domestic in progress. A couple there were fighting over a phone and other issues. After speaking with both parties, Joel Thomas Hunt, 23, River Falls, was arrested for misdemeanor bail jumping and transported to Pierce County Jail.

Brittany Angelica Miller, 33, River Falls, struck a turkey at 3:57 p.m. on Highway 65 just north of town while driving 2015 Chevrolet Traverse. The vehicle had minor damage; Miller wore a seat belt and reported no injuries.

Ovcers responded to a two-vehicle crash at 8:11 p.m. at South Main Street and Cascade Avenue between a 2013 Chevy Malibu, driven by Brianna Rose Paye, 19, Casco, and a 2012 Infiniti G25, driven by Elise Dianne Jenkover Banitt,

22, Prescott. Paye was traveling south on Main Street in the left turn lane, planning to turn east. Banitt was traveling north on Main Street.

Paye failed to yield and Banitt struck her left passenger side as she was turning left.

The Malibu was towed due to disabling damage. The In- finiti had functional damage. Both drivers wore seat belts and reported no injuries.

Paye was cited $98.80 for failure to yield while making a left turn.

Gerald Francis Lucking,

32, River Falls, was cited $124 for operating while sus- pended after a travc stop for operating without headlights at 9:08 p.m. near South Main and Walnut streets. Lucking had an absolute sobriety bond provision in place and registered a .04 BAC. He was cooperative and honest with police and said he was driving home a highly intoxicated woman even though he didn’t have a valid license, which was true. A misdemeanor bail jumping charge was forwarded to the district attorney for review.

Sunday, May 1 Joseph Leonard Dimartino, 21, River Falls, was arrested and cited $861 for OWI and $861 for operat- ing with PAC after a travc stop at 12:50 a.m. at Second and Locust streets for operating without headlights, an out brake light and an open trunk. Dimartino was driving his friend home, but had been drinking too. He failed field sobriety tests and ul timately registered a 0.13 on the intoximeter. He was booked and released to a sober friend.

Police were dispatched at 2:45 a.m. to the area of 214 Broadway St. for a physical domestic involving a large group of people yelling and fighting. A 17-year-old girl from Hastings, Minn., came to the residence to speak with her ex-boyfriend. She said a girl had spoken to her on the phone and threatened her when she tried calling the ex.

Witnesses said she arrived, got out of a car and hit her ex’s truck’s hood, passenger side and mirror with her fists. The estimated cost of the damage is $3,444,14. Police located the suspect and pulled her over. She said the truck had been previously damaged by hail. The case remains under investigation.

At 6:50 p.m., a resident in the 200 block of West Johnson Street reported a fraud incident. The complainant had given out his Social Security number to a person on the phone he believed was calling from his bank’s fraud department. After he spoke to them, $750 was taken from his bank account.

At 10:15 p.m., an ovcer on patrol saw vehicle with its lights on parked at the soccer fields ou Golf View Drive. Two 16-year-old juveniles inside were warned for vaping and sent home after police contacted their parents.

Monday, May 2

A Meyer Middle School was cited $98.80 for habit- ual truancy after having five unexcused absences between April 11-27.

At 3:47 p.m., a complainant at 407 S. Wasson Lane reported a catalytic converter theft from a 2003 Honda Accord that occurred sometime between 10 p.m.

May 1 and 7 a.m. May 2. The repair estimate is $1,000.

At 6:02 p.m., a River Falls resident went to the police station to report a possible stolen vehicle. She said she had let a friend borrow her 2006 Saturn Ion. He was supposed to pick her up from work in Hudson at 2 p.m.

April 29, but never showed and wasn’t returning messages. The vehicle was found May 4 with the suspect in North St. Paul, Minn.