RIVER FALLS Police Department Reports

The following incidents were reported to the River Falls Police Department Jan. 25-31.

Tuesday, Jan. 25

Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash at 3:52 p.m. on County Road M just east of Highway 35 between a 2014 Ford Escape, driven by Madeline Belle Ritter, 21, River Falls, and a 2008 Dodge Caravan, driven by Alice Marie Dishman-Manning, 34, River Falls. Ritter said she was stopped at the stop sign for the east Division Street ramp at Highway 35 when Dishman-Manning rear-ended her going about 25 mph. Dishman- Manning said she had stopped behind Ritter and was looking left for traffic when Ritter moved a short distance forward. She thought Ritter had left the stop sign and merged onto the highway, so she proceeded forward and collided with the vehicle. Both vehicles had minor damage. Both drivers wore seat belts and reported no injuries. Two passengers in Ritter’s vehicle, Stephen J. Dokkestul, 33, River Falls, and Gabby R. Brown, 21, River Falls, wore seat belts and reported no injuries. Three passengers in Dishman-Manning’s vehicle, Patrick Joseph Manning, 36, River Falls; a 4-month-old baby and a 1-year-old boy, also wore seat belts or were properly restrained and reported no injuries.

Inti Cusi Contento, 28, River Falls, was arrested and cited $200 for operate without a valid license (second within three years) after a traffic stop for an out headlight at 7:20 p.m. at North Main and Summit streets. Contento was cooperative and given information on how to obtain a driver’s license. After booking, officers gave him a courtesy ride home.

Police received a report of a domestic incident at 11:22 p.m. that had occurred the evening prior at 218 W. Charlotte St. The complainant said he had been kicked in the testicles. Police located the other party involved, identified as Sherry Christine Olson, 40, River Falls, at an apartment in the 500 block of South Wasson Lane. She had dilated eyes and was acting erratically. During an interview, she admitted to smoking meth that day, which violated her bond conditions. Police arrested her for misdemeanor bail jumping and disorderly conduct; she was transported to Pierce County Jail without incident.

Wednesday, Jan. 26 Ellisa Rose Frederickson, 21, River Falls, was arrested and cited $861 for OWI after a traffic stop for swerving and crossing the center line at 1:07 a.m. near Cemetery Road and Wasson Lane. An officer parked on Wasson Lane witnessed Frederickson make a wide right turn from Cascade Avenue onto Wasson Lane, cross the center line and fog lines and almost strike a snowbank. When stopped, Frederickson denied drinking. She failed field sobriety tests and registered a 0.144 BAC. Four passengers with her called a sober ride to pick them up while she was taken to the police station, after which she was released into a sober person’s care.

At 8 a.m., a Meyer Middle School (230 N. Ninth St.) employee informed police that they’d received a tip about a student posting nude photos of another student on Snapchat. The suspect admitted to receiving the photos from a friend, who was mad at the student in the photos and wanted them posted as revenge. The iPad from which they were posted was confiscated and the Snapchat account frozen. Editor’s note: Parents, please talk to your children about the dangers and potential consequences of sending nude photos to others and social media safety.

At 11:26 a.m., police responded to an apartment at 1495 Riverside Drive for a reported assault. After conducting interviews and reviewing security system video footage, Chloe Ann Steele, 31, Bay City, and Cody Michael Bui, 35, Oakdale, Minn., were arrested and taken to St. Croix County Jail for domestic battery, domestic disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property. The complainant had witnessed on his cell phone via a security system app that Steele and Bui had gone into his room without his permission. The complainant was at work; he said he’s been allowing Steele, Bui and the child he shares with Steele to stay at the apartment. He came home from work to confront the pair, and a fight ensued. The video showed Steele and Bui curb stomping the complainant, kicking and biting him while the child cried in the background. EMS evaluated him on the scene for injuries. A multitude of prescription drugs, THC and methamphetamine, along with many paraphernalia items, were seized from both bedrooms after a search warrant was obtained. Due to the condition of the apartment and the child, plus the child’s accessibility to drugs, paraphernalia and sex and bondage toys, the child was placed with another caregiver after St. Croix County Human Services became involved. The case remains under review by the district attorney.

Officers responded at 4:16 p.m. to a hit-and-run crash on Grove Street just south of Division Street. A school bus had sideswiped a legally parked 2010 Acura, owned by Angela Dee Budin, 43, Hudson. Budin said she was parked on southbound side of North Grove Street waiting for her daughter, who was acting as a crossing guard at the intersection. The right side of a school bus, which was heading south on Grove Street, scraped the side of her vehicle, causing damage to the driver’s side mirror and driver’s side quarter panel. The bus driver Brent Darnell Plackner, 53, River Falls, was contacted and said he didn’t realize he had hit the vehicle but the street was “tight.” Budin wore a seat belt and reported no injuries.

Police responded to a twovehicle crash at 5:40 p.m. on southbound Highway 35 just north of the Highway 29/Cascade Avenue intersection between a 2017 Ford Edge, driven by Darla J. Cain, 50, Beldenville, and a 2008 GMC Sierra, driven by Alex Joseph Schoumaker, 23, Hudson. Cain was heading south on Highway 35/65 and had stopped behind vehicles stopped at the Cascade Avenue stoplight. Schoumaker, who was behind Cain, failed to stop and struck Cain’s vehicle from behind, which caused the back window to shatter. Cain’s vehicle had functional damage, while Schoumaker’s had minor damage. Both drivers wore seat belts and reported no injuries. A passenger in Schoumaker’s vehicle, Morgan Lynn Laux, 20, Woodville, also wore a seat belt and reported no injuries.

Police responded at 6:05 p.m. to a residence in the 1000 block of East Cascade Avenue for an assault. A juvenile had pushed a woman to the ground and fled the residence. While speaking with the complainant, another resident gave police a computer keyboard and mouse that the juvenile had allegedly stolen from UW-River Falls’ Centennial Science Hall, plus a jar of clear liquid that smelled like alcohol. With consent, police searched the juvenile’s bedroom and found a Dell monitor and garbage can that had also been stolen from UWRF. The juvenile was eventually located behind the residence at about 7:15 p.m. and transported to a juvenile detention facility in Eau Claire.

Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash at 6:10 p.m. on southbound Highway 35 just north of the Highway 29/Cascade Avenue intersection between a 2015 Volkswagen Passat, driven by Reed Michael Hannegraf, 42, Beldenville, and a 2006 Ford Fusion, driven by Joseph Michael Dixon, 35, River Falls. Hannegraf, who was heading south on Highway 35/65, had slowed for vehicles stopped at the Cascade Avenue stoplight. Dixon, who was behind Hannegraf, didn’t stop in time and struck the rear of Hannegraf’s vehicle. Police believe he may have been distracted by officers’ emergency lights from a previous crash in the same location. Both drivers wore seat belts and reported no injuries. Hannegraf’s Passat had minor damage, while Dixon’s Fusion had functional damage. Dixon was cited $124 for automobile following too closely.

Thursday, Jan. 27

At 11:12 a.m., police were sent to the Radisson Hotel (100 Spring St.) for a customer who didn’t pay their bill and left. A couple who regularly stays there had been informed at 9:30 a.m. that their bill was $1,075.56. When staff went to their room, they had left and taken their belongings with them. Court records show the woman is wanted out of Pierce County for failure to appear for retail theft and operating without a valid license – third charges. Police attempted to reach the woman by phone without success. Hotel management asked that they be trespassed from the hotel.

At 9:15 p.m., police were called to Broz Bar (127 S. Main St.) for a heavily intoxicated woman who had been asked to leave the bar and was in the street causing problems. The bar owner said the woman, identified as Alexandrea Nicole Torres, 40, River Falls, punched him three times while he escorted her out of the bar. He asked that she be trespassed from Broz. Police found her at Nutty Squirrel drinking at the bar. She gave police a false name several times and appeared highly intoxicated. Police told her they had to deliver a no-trespass order and could give her a ride home, but she became highly agitated and resistive, even after they told her they had her driver’s license (which they found on the sidewalk near Broz) and a prescription bottle she had left behind. After being handcuffed, she kicked one officer in the shin and attempted to kick another. She threatened to kill officers while they waited for EMS to arrive for an evaluation, due to her intoxication level. She urinated and possibly defecated on herself, but refused medical treatment. During an evaluation at the hospital, she was belligerent and swore at staff. Torres was transported to the jail after a medical clearance, and Child Protective Services was contacted about four minor children left at Torres’ home alone.

Friday, Jan. 28

At 2:55 a.m., police were called to a one-vehicle rollover near Highway 65 and Division Street. When police arrived, the vehicle was unoccupied but blood was found inside it. Fresh tracks were found leading south, into a wooded area, away from the crash site. Officers tracked the footprints and blood spatter to the end of a cul-de-sac near 2665 Golfview Drive, toward a steep drop-off in a wooded area. An indent in the snow indicated the suspect had fallen over or More footprints and blood spatter were located in the snow on Golfview Drive near the Highway 35 overpass. Police followed a substantial blood trail south into the soccer fields toward the South Wasson Lane and South Cudd Avenue intersection. The trail disappeared from there. The vehicle, a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu was on its roof against a tree. A cell phone was found in the driver’s seat. The suspect and registered vehicle owner was identified as Luke Joseph Killian, 21, River Falls. During the investigation, Killian was seen on footage from Shooter’s Pub from midnight to 2 a.m. The bar owner told police Killian had tried to cause a disturbance outside the bar at 2:05 a.m. Other witnesses confirmed Killian was drinking prior to the crash. Officers finally located Killian at 257 Vista Circle at 7:41 p.m. Jan. 28. He told police he had blacked out after the crash due to the air bags deploying (the air bags had not deployed). He denied drinking or being downtown prior to the crash and said he had gone to a friend’s house to sleep after the crash. He also denied medical attention. The case is still under investigation.

At 12:54 p.m., officers were sent to 1536 E. Cemetery Road for a trespassing complaint. The Kwik Trip store manager asked that Joseph Lawrence Lapinsky, 73, River Falls, be trespassed from all River Falls Kwik Trip locations due to numerous gas drive-offs.

Police responded to a hitand- run crash at 2:47 p.m. on East Walnut Street near Fifth Street. A 2002 Volvo S60, owned by Mark Alan Munson, 60, Eagan, Minn., was legally parked on Walnut Street overnight. Sometime while it was parked, an unknown vehicle struck the Volvo’s driver’s side, completely taking off the sideview mirror. There are no suspects.

Saturday, Jan. 29 Joseph Allan Lorance, 39, River Falls, was arrested and cited $500 for OWI-second and $98.80 for speeding on city highway after a traffic stop at 12:55 a.m. for speeding on Main Street near Hamilton Drive. When police pulled Lorance over, he was slurring his speech and had bloodshot eyes. He said he’d been at Nutty Squirrel Saloon. After failing field sobriety tests and a blood draw at the hospital, Lorance was booked and released to the care of his sober girlfriend, who had been a passenger in the vehicle. He remained cooperative throughout the encounter.

At 2 p.m., two residents reported a puppy fraud scam to police. They had paid a total of $1,270 to a Brandon Lopez via Google Pay for a Husky puppy. The initial price was $700, but the vendor kept asking for more money claiming they needed it for shipping and insurance costs. The vendor called the couple while they were speaking with police and had broken English. The caller hung up when police identified themselves. The officer advised the complainants to contact Google Pay about their fraud policy.

Police responded to Family Fresh (303 S. Main St.) at 2:04 p.m. for an out-of-control shoplifter. A woman, later identified as Leah Arial Wilson, 20, River Falls, had place several items in a plastic bag and left without paying. The items included three frozen pizzas, brownies, macaroni, beef dumpling and canned octopus, totaling $39.02. When confronted, she became extremely upset and uncooperative. She remained resistive when officers arrived and handcuffed her. She was cited for retail theft and trespassed from the store. She was also shown in surveillance video in two other shoplifting incidents at Family Fresh.

Sunday, Jan. 30

Officers responded at 12:49 a.m. to 103 S. Sixth St. for a noise complaint and possible underage drinking at a large party going on. Due to lack of officers available due to emergent calls, officers chose not to cite underage drinkers at the party. After police made contact with the three renters, an estimated 150 people exited the residence, most appearing underage and many were carrying backpacks. Police were concerned that that many people exited the older home, unsure if the structure could take that much weight. Multiple people fell down the stairs outside as they exited. Police saw at least 10 people getting into a five-person vehicle, with three shoved in the trunk. Officers forced five to exit and find another way home. The party posed safety and health concerns. The renters were strictly warned about having another party of this nature.

Timothy Rithy Oeun, 20, River Falls, was cited $187 for possession of THC after a traffic stop at 1:36 a.m. at Vine and Main streets for low illuminating headlights and tail lights that were not lit. When police pulled over the vehicle. Oeun attempted to get out of the vehicle. Police ordered him back into the vehicle, at which time he appeared nervous. Two female passengers were with him. Oeun told police he was their sober cab and that he wasn’t driving his own vehicle. Officers could smell a strong marijuana smell coming from the vehicle; one of the women told police that Oeun had thrown a baggie of marijuana at her when they were being pulled over.

At 1:55 a.m. police responded to the new Kwik Trip (1536 E. Cemetery Road) for an intoxicated man who was sitting in a pickup truck. The man was identified as Daniel Joseph Donahue, 73, River Falls. He appeared to be under the influence, but police had not seen him drive the vehicle. He accepted a courtesy ride to his residence after telling police he had been at Johnnie’s Bar but wanted to go home. They dropped him off at his residence at 2:16 a.m. and his truck was left at Kwik Trip. At 4:33 a.m., an off-duty Prescott officer saw Donahue walking toward Kwik Trip down Cemetery Road. A Pierce County deputy ultimately pulled Donahue over near the Wasson Lane and Cemetery Road intersection after seeing him cross the center line and drive off the road. He was driving his truck. When he stepped from the truck, he was swaying and smelled heavily of intoxicants. After failing field sobriety tests, he completed a blood draw at the hospital. He was arrested and cited $500 for OWI-second. After booking, police gave him another courtesy ride home. This time he said he would go to bed.