The following incidents were reported to River Falls Police Department June 9-20.

Thursday, June 9

Police were called to a fight in progress at 6:51 p.m. at Positive Alternatives (2860 Williams Ave.) One juvenile left on foot to the park with a staff member while the other remained behind, threatening to break the other girl’s nose when she returned. The argument started over who rides in the front seat of a vehicle when they go places.

Officers were notified at 9:12 p.m. of a drunk driving complaint. The suspect, later identified as Chelsea Victoria Hill, 32, Hastings, Minn., was last seen heading north from Dick’s Fresh Market with children in the car. Police found the idling vehicle parked near Main and Maple streets with its lights on. Two children ages 2 and 5 were in the vehicle, but no adult was present. The vehicle’s doors were locked. Police found Hill inside Maverick’s Corner Saloon standing near the bar. She stumbled when she walked and smelled strongly of intoxicants. She was swaying so much that police had to support her at times. She told police she drove to the bar sober and had been there for 10 minutes. She attempted field sobriety tests, but was too intoxicated to finish. A PBT reading came back at 0.249. Officers arrested and cited her $500 for OWI-second (with passengers under 16) and while transporting her to River Falls Area Hospital, she kicked the divider window multiple times while screaming. She had to be restrained while hospital staff drew her blood (a search warrant was granted). Police then transported her to Pierce County Jail while Hill’s boyfriend and parents responded to the bar to take custody of the children.

Friday, June 10

At 7:10 a.m., police were called to 215 W. Cedar St. for a found dog. The complainant had found a black, female mixed breed dog in the 200 block of Division Street the day before, but her landlord wouldn’t let her keep the dog. The dog was transported to River Bluff Humane Society in Red Wing, Minn., June 13 when no one claimed her.

Officers responded at 8:43 a.m. to Spirit of Grace Church (127 S. Second St.) for theft of an LGBTQ flag. The flag pole had also been damaged. The flag was last seen June 5. The estimated damage cost came to 150. The case remains under investigation.

Police were called at 11:36 a.m. to Kwik Trip (1536 Cemetery Road) for a theft that had occurred at 10:26 p.m. June 9. Video showed the suspect taking cookies from a package, a piece of tin foil from a roll, concealing Skittles in his pocket and using Axe body spray before putting it back on the shelf. The items taken or used totaled $18.54. Police made contact with the suspect, Oscar Stanley Amaya, 32, River Falls, was cited $187 for retail theft – intentionally take. A misdemeanor bail jumping charge was forwarded to the district attorney’s office.

Sunday, June 12

At 1:38 a.m., Hudson police informed River Falls police that a suspected drunk driver was heading to River Falls on Highway 35. The suspect, later identified as Natalie Marie Newton, 19, Hudson, had cut into line at the Hudson Taco Bell in front of several vehicles. Newton allegedly started flicking people off and yelling out her window. She exited her car and stumbled over to the complainant’s vehicle; she was slurring and not making a lot of sense when she spoke. The complainant’s daughter took video of the interaction. The complainant followed Newton and called police because he thought she was severely impaired. He reported that Newton’s vehicle swerved in and out of the ditch on Highway 35 near Glover Road. River Falls police pulled her over at 1:48 a.m. on the southbound on-ramp from Highway 35 to North Main Street after seeing her vehicle cross the white fog line several times. When the officer made contact, both vehicle occupants smelled heavily of alcohol. An empty glass bottle of Bacardi Limon was underneath the gas pedal. Newton refused to answer any questions and was uncooperative. She rolled up her window and attempted to call her mother. After repeated orders to roll down her window, she complied, though she refused to do field sobriety tests or take a Breathalyzer test. Nelson was arrested for OWI, cited $861 and transported to the police station, where she was eventually released to her father’s custody. During a vehicle search, police found the Bacardi Limon bottle and a metal container with a mixed drink in it. Passenger Madelyn E. Morrow, 19, River Falls, refused to tell police where they’d been prior to Taco Bell, but said the people at Taco Bell should get in trouble. Her blood alcohol level registered at 0.79. She was cited $187 for underage drinking.

At 8:24 p.m., officers responded to 105 N. Main St. where the landlord reported a disorderly tenant. The landlord had given a tenant an eviction notice; the tenant confronted the landlord while he was painting the awning outside on a ladder. The tenant allegedly kicked the ladder before going back upstairs because he was frustrated the landlord was ignoring him. Both parties were told to avoid contact and the tenant was told to report building concerns to the building inspector.

Monday, June 13

At 4:11 p.m., police were called to 96 E. Johnson St. for a disturbance. A woman called police because her son, who doesn’t live there but comes and goes, had become hostile and was screaming at her and her friend. She feared for her safety and asked him to leave. While police were there, she sent him a message telling him he’s not welcome there and to call police for assistance in retrieving his belongings. At 6:59 p.m., he called her and threatened to drive her truck into a river. She called police again at 11:19 p.m. and said he had calmed down and she was going to let him stay the night.

While at Kwik Trip (1238 N. Main St.) at 9:10 p.m., an officer saw a 1999 red Oldsmobile 88 pull into the lot. He ran the plates and the vehicle came back as stolen from Lake Hallie, Wis., on June 7. The officer blocked the vehicle in and entered the store to speak with the driver, but couldn’t find him. He found him shortly thereafter at the far east end of the parking lot. The suspect began walking toward 250 Quarry Road, but listened when the officer told him to stop. The man, identified as Barry A. Waters, 51, Chippewa Falls, told police he had nothing to do with the vehicle and didn’t know where any keys were. Waters told police he was homeless and had come to River Falls three weeks ago by hitchhiking. He said people had been following him and trying to kill him and continued to deny driving the Oldsmobile. He at one point said he wants to got to Michigan to kill his family and asked to speak with federal agents. He was arrested for carrying a concealed knife (two counts), criminal damage to property, resisting or obstructing an officer, operate vehicle without consent and a probation hold. Police transported him to St. Croix County Jail. This is the third stolen vehicle case involving Waters since June 2019. He continued to deny driving the vehicle and refused to tell police where its keys were, so the vehicle had to be towed. It was eventually returned to its owner.

At 11:57 p.m., a parent in the 400 block of Wasson Lane reported a runaway juvenile who had left the house and jumped a fence. When police arrived the juvenile had returned and told police they were frustrated with feeling like a prisoner. Officers helped mother and child figure out how to communicate better. An officer left a business card with the teen, in case they need someone to talk to.

Tuesday, June 14

Officers responded to a vehicle vs. building crash at 5:15 p.m. at Verizon Wireless (705 N. Main St.) that had happened earlier in the day. A 2009 Toyota Sienna, driven by Ronald Scott Wild, 57, Whitewater, had struck the building when pulling into a parking spot. Wild allegedly told a Verizon employee that he’d return after getting his brakes fixed, but never did. Police eventually tracked him down and spoke to him. The building had minor damage. Wild wore a seat belt and reported no injuries.

Thursday, June 16

Officers were called at 12:54 p.m. to 96 E. Johnson St. for a property damage complaint. The complainant reported a scratch on her 2010 Ford F150. She believes it was done by her son due to their ongoing disputes.

Friday, June 17

At 1:37 p.m., a complainant reported a theft from his storage unit at 1396 Cemetery Road. He said he went to his storage unit the day before and his key wouldn’t work in the lock. The manager there told him that they found his storage unit open and empty on Jan. 8 and secured the unit with their lock. Since he hadn’t paid rent in four or five months, they assumed he had cleared out the unit so didn’t report it as a theft. The complainant said the last time he’d been at the unit was sometime last year. He estimated the loss of his belongings to be $4,000 to $5,000, including a tool chest with tools, fishing poles, a hutch and bins of household items.

Saturday, June 18

Police responded at 5:39 a.m. to 1889 Windflower St. for a garage fire. Also responding were Pierce County deputies. The fire was extinguished with a hose as River Falls Fire arrived and residents evacuated. The home’s garage was damaged, as well as the siding on the house next door at 1861 Windflower St. The homeowner, Jeremy A. Carlson, 37, River Falls, didn’t know how the fire started, but believed it may have been from the garbage cans in front of the garage. No one was injured.

Sunday, June 19

Officers were asked to respond at 12:26 a.m. to the area of Highway 35 and Main Street, for a vehicle driving the wrong way on Highway 35, heading southbound in the northbound lanes. Officers located the vehicle on the northbound shoulder just north of Main Street. When they pulled up behind it, the vehicle began to move forward but stopped. The driver, identified as Ian Thomas Stroud, 39, Lake Elmo, Minn., said he had pulled over because he was waiting for a friend to catch up. They had been at Emma’s Bar, where he said he had three beers. After completing field sobriety tests, he was arrested and cited $861 for OWI. He refused to take a Breathalyzer test and requested a lawyer. He was released to a sober friend at 3 a.m.

Joseph William Braunreiter, 21, Red Wing, Minn., was cited $124 for vomiting in public behind Emma’s Bar (222 S. Main St.)

Officers responded to a driving complaint at 8:38 a.m. near Main Street and Cascade Avenue. The complainant said the driver of a Cadillac Escalade was all over the road and had struck a traffic cone. She got the driver, a 68-year-old River Falls man, to pull over. He told her he was having vision trouble. When police spoke to him, he said his vision had been blurry since June 17. He admitted he should not have been driving, but he was going to a 9 a.m. church service. EMS transported him to River Falls Area Hospital for further evaluation. A driver condition report will be sent to WisDOT.

Monday, June 20

Police were asked to respond at 12:24 a.m. to Nutty Squirrel (110 S. Main St.) where a woman had stumbled into the bar requesting a beer at about 11:38 p.m. When denied the beer, the woman walked into the walk-in cooler, went into the kitchen, the ice room and the men’s restroom and attempted to get into the office before running out the back door. She was mumbling the whole time. Dispatch then reported the woman had headed to Dairy Queen, where she kicked a glass door and shattered it. Employees there said the woman had tried to get into the restaurant to use the phone and when they wouldn’t open the door, she kicked the door. When police responded, they saw her walking east on Cascade Avenue. When she saw them, she took off running toward May Hall. Police caught up with the woman, identified as Ashley Lynn Vorass, 33, River Falls, on Main Street and ordered her to sit on the curb. She told police she was being followed and asked to be taken to the hospital. She was medically cleared and transported to Pierce County Jail for felony bail jumping (two counts), disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property.

At 6:19 p.m., officers were sent to 430 Kennedy St. for a fight in progress in the front yard. Two men were fighting over comments one of their girlfriends made to the other girlfriend. The visiting woman had also apparently hit the girlfriend, which prompted the fight to break out. One couple left and could not be located. EMS responded and provided treatment to one man, who had scratches and bruises. Both parties declined to write statements.