RIVER FALLS Police Department Reports

The following incidents were reported to River Falls Police Department Dec. 28 through Jan. 3.

Tuesday, Dec. 28

At 1:07 p.m., police responded to Anthony’s Tobacco Shop (709 N. Main St.) where a man fled after shoplifting a package of Delta 8 Prerolls, valued at $12.65. The man attempted to pay for them with two cards, which were both declined. He took the package anyway, and left the store. The clerk followed him and put herself in between his driver’s door and him, telling him he needed to pay for the package. The man shoved her and struck her upper arm in order to get away. She took a video of him leaving, along with his license plate number. Police tracked him down in Hudson and his mother identified him as Bradley Bear Downwind, 30, Hudson. She said he had borrowed her car and was visiting her for the week. She brought him to the police station, where he was cited $187 for disorderly conduct and $187 for retail theft – intentionally take. He was also trespassed from the store.

Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash at 3:25 p.m. in the parking lot of 808 S. Main St. between a 2011 Ford Escape, driven by Michelle Carillo Mendez, 21, River Falls, and a 2019 Toyota Rav4, driven by Peter Mansfield Bosworth, 64, River Falls. Mendez, who was making a delivery, was parked in a parking stall, while Bosworth was parked temporarily behind her in the driving lane. Mendez, whose back window was covered in snow, began backing up and struck the front passenger panel of Bosworth’s vehicle. Both vehicles had minor damage. Both drivers wore seat belts and reported no injuries. A passenger in Bosworth’s vehicle, Marcy L. Bosworth, 64, River Falls, wore no seat belt and reported no injuries.

At 8 p.m., police responded to 649 N. Main St. for a vehicle vs. light post collision. When police arrived, the sidewalk light post was partially in the roadway and pieces of the post were in the road. Witnesses said a gray SUV with no lights had struck the post and left. One witness was able to get a photo of the fleeing vehicle. Tire tracks could be seen leading through the snow along the west sidewalk to the post. At 11:50 p.m., police located the suspect vehicle in the parking lot at 625 N. Main St. His 2011 Ford Escape had damage consistent with hitting a light post. The driver, Stephen R. Bowen, 71, River Falls, said he lost control of his vehicle in the snow, crossed the center line, went up on the opposite sidewalk and “hit something.” He panicked and fled the scene, saying he didn’t know who to call. Police cited him $187 for hit and run – property adjacent to highway. He reported no injuries.

A resident in the 500 block of Eighth Street contacted police at 10:58 p.m. about a restraining order violation. The complainant reported receiving repeated phone calls and text messages from the person the order is against. Police spoke with the suspect, who said she was only trying to contact the complainant to see if the restraining order had been dropped. Police explicitly told her to stop contacting the complainant and that charges would be forwarded to the district attorney’s office for review.

Wednesday, Dec. 29

Officers responded to a one-vehicle crash at 8:37 a.m. on Cemetery Road. A 2019 Subaru Impreza, driven by Annika Renee Hall, 16, Hager City, had struck overcorrected on the slippery snow and struck a guardrail. The passenger, Zachary Lee Deyot, 21, River Falls, said he was teaching Hall how to drive when she began to drift onto the shoulder/ into the snow. He grabbed the steering wheel, but they began to fishtail and struck the guardrail on the north side of the road. Both occupants wore seat belts and reported no injuries. The vehicle had functional damage.

Police responded to a twovehicle crash at 10:37 a.m. in front of 415 S. Wasson Lane between a 2012 Ford Escape, driven by Rachal Elizabeth Hitchcock, 28, River Falls, and a legally parked 2009 Honda Fit, owned by Ivy Jade Kunde, River Falls. A witness called police and said she saw Hitchcock back out of the parking lot and strike Kunde’s vehicle. Hitchcock then left the scene, but later returned and wrote a note to place on Kunde’s vehicle. When police arrived, they located Hitchcock at a nearby building, who was upset about the accident. She had left, but returned after calling her insurance company. Her vehicle had minor damage, while Kunde’s had functional damage. Police left a voicemail for Kunde. No injuries were reported.

Officers responded to a four-vehicle crash at 1:46 p.m. at Highway 35 and Division Street between a 2007 Acura RDX, driven by Ella Rose Sweere, 16, Beldenville; a 2010 Honda Civic, driven by

Ronald Arthur Hanke, 67, Hudson; a 2015 Jeep Cherokee, driven by Amalia Teresa Metcalf, 20, Hudson; and a 2014 Ford Fusion, driven by

Guy Stephen Whitmer, 31, Hudson. Metcalf was traveling northbound on Highway 35 near Division Street and slowed to make a left-hand turn (although there were posted “no left turn” signs). Hanke, who was behind Metcalf, slowed and came to a stop as Metcalf attempted to turn left. Sweere came from behind and struck Hanke’s vehicle at a high rate of speed, causing it to spin an unknown number of times before it came to rest facing southbound. Hanke’s vehicle struck the back of Metcalf’s vehicle after being struck by Sweere. Sweere told police she didn’t remember what happened, that she didn’t see the vehicle in front of her. After Hanke’s vehicle was sent into the opposite traffic lane from the impact, it was struck by Whitmer, who was heading southbound. Whitmer said he wasn’t able to stop in time. Sweere and her passenger, Maria Kumari Vitt, 16, River Falls, wore seat belts and reported no injuries. Hanke and his passenger, Kathleen Denise Hanke, 66, Hudson, wore seat belts and were taken by ambulance to Hudson Hospital with suspected minor injuries. Metcalf and her passengers, Makenna D. Adsit, 19, White Bear Township, Minn., and Madilyn Alys Eastin, 20, Oakdale, Minn., wore seat belts and reported no injuries. Whitmer also wore a seat belt and reported no injuries. Sweere’s and Hanke’s vehicles had to be towed due to disabling damage. Metcalf’s vehicle had functional damage, while Whitmer’s had minor damage. Sweere was cited $111.40 for inattentive driving.

Thursday, Dec. 30

At 9:10 a.m., a complainant reported a catalytic converter theft from a 2003 Honda Odyssey at 132 W. Johnson St. When the complainant’s husband started the vehicle at 6 a.m., he noticed it sounded loud. It was also jacked up using a car jack under the front passenger tire. The car jack had been sitting on the floor inside the vehicle. Police took photos of tire tracks next to the Honda.

Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash at 10:12 a.m. at Cemetery Road and South Main Street between a 2011 Chevrolet Suburban, driven by Kalley May Krizan, 16, Sheldon, and a 2019 Toyota Rav4, driven by Debra Gail Tokheim, 69, Prescott. Tokheim was traveling north on South Main Street, approaching the Cemetery Road intersection when Krizan, who was heading south on South Main Street, turned left to head east onto Cemetery Road and struck Tokheim. Both vehicles were towed due to disabling damage. Krizan told police “I’m not good with stoplights.” It was determined she had a green light, but not a green turn arrow, giving Tokheim the right-of-way. Krizan and her passenger, Kiersten Paige Webster, 16, Gilman, both wore seat belts and reported no injuries. Tokheim and her passenger, Luann Marie Tokheim, 65, Osage, Iowa, also wore seat belts and reported no injuries. Krizan was cited $98.80 for fail/yield while making a left turn.

Friday, Dec. 31

Police responded to a twovehicle crash at 10:25 a.m. in the M Fairview Health Clinic parking lot at 319 S. Main St. between a 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier, owned by Christopher L. Jablonsky, 38, Plum City, and a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, owned by Teri Lynn Cran, New Richmond. Jablonsky had parked in the lot but forgot to put the vehicle in park. He went into the building and his vehicle rolled into Cran’s legally parked Traverse. Jablonsky’s Cavalier had minor damage, while Cran’s vehicle had none.

Eric M. Matheson, 62, River Falls, reported his rear license plate as stolen at 12:49 p.m. He first noticed it was missing from his company vehicle while parked at Family Fresh (303 S. Main St.) It looked like the plate has been ripped or cut off, because the screws were still intact, as well as the plate’s corners.

Christopher Francis Kroyer, 35, River Falls, was arrested for possession of THC, possess drug paraphernalia, a probation violation and felony bail jumping after a traffic stop at 9:02 p.m. near Cemetery Road and Wisconsin Street for failure to stop at a stop sign (at Johnson and Main streets) and operating left of center. When police pulled over the vehicle, it smelled heavily of marijuana. A search of the vehicle turned up over an ounce of marijuana and multiple items of drug paraphernalia. Kroyer’s passenger, Tiffany Anasthia Russell, 33, River Falls, admitted ownership of some of the items, but not all. Possession of THC and possess drug paraphernalia charges were referred to the district attorney for Russell and she was released. Kroyer was arrested and taken to Pierce County Jail.

Saturday, Jan. 1

At 1:18 a.m., an officer saw a vehicle with an out headlight traveling the wrong way on Spring Street (which is a oneway street) before it took a left onto Oak Street. The driver was identified as McKayla M. Mattison, 20, Spring Valley. When police pulled her over, they could smell alcohol. Mattison failed field sobriety tests and was cited $313 for violate absolute sobriety law.

Police responded at 6:46 a.m. to 517 E. Johnson St., where the complainant said a vehicle had struck the house. When police arrived, an unoccupied 2005 Ford F150 was in the front yard. It appeared the Ford had been traveling east on Johnson Street, lost control, went through the yard at 511 E. Johnson St., struck several lawn ornaments including a steel wagon wheel, then continued into the yard at 517 E. Johnson where it struck a large tree, then spun around and hit the house. The complainant said she heard a noise at 6:35 a.m., but didn’t know what had happened. Suddenly, her neighbors knocked on the door and said one of them, identified as Justin Lee Green, 41, River Falls, had hit a slick spot and struck the tree. They denied hitting the house and said they’d be back after daylight to move the vehicle. When the complainant went into her children’s bedroom, she could see the drywall had been pushed in and felt cold air. Police located Green at his residence down the street. He said he’d been bartending downtown and had just gotten home; he denied drinking. Police could smell alcohol on him and he had red, bloodshot eyes. They asked him to perform field sobriety tests in his house, which he did and failed. Police transported him to the hospital for a blood draw, and arrested him for OWI-second. After he was booked, he was given a courtesy ride back home.

Officers responded to a vehicle vs. car wash unit crash at 2:38 p.m. at Kwik Trip (1238 N. Main St.) A 2019 Ford F150, driven by Michelle Marie Crowe, 42 Gordon, was exiting the car wash when it drove over the barrier and struck the car wash machine, causing minor damage. The truck sustained a flat tire and minor damage. Crowe and her passenger, Michelle Louise Lauletta, 58, River Falls, wore seat belts and reported no injuries.

At 11:05 p.m., staff at River Falls Area Hospital requested police respond for a disorderly man in the emergency room. Joseph D. Young, 37, Prescott, had been medically cleared but was refusing to leave. He was also verbally abusing and threatening staff. Drug use was suspected, although he denied it. Young told police he wouldn’t leave with his father, who had brought him there at 4 p.m., because he pays taxes. Staff said Young threatened to kill them and threw multiple items in the hospital. He was arrested for disorderly conduct and a probation hold and taken to Pierce County Jail.