A teenager is accused of kidnapping and assaulting another teen in River Falls and driving him around to ATMs, trying to force him to pay an alleged debt.

Dylan James Petersen, 17, Roberts, was ordered to pay $5,000 cash bond Nov. 17 in St. Croix County Circuit Court on felony kidnapping/carry without consent, felony attempt robbery with use of force (two counts), felony intimidate victim/use or attempt force and battery charges. He posted bond and was released from jail Nov. 18. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and/or fines up to $100,000.

According to the complaint:

Hudson police were dispatched to a robbery/assault complaint at 4:08 a.m. Nov. 15 at a home in the 700 block of Grandview Way, Hudson. The male complainant told police he had been assaulted and robbed by a group of five people at a home in River Falls. Police later determined the address to be 561 N. Dallas St. He said they forced him into a vehicle, took him to an ATM and his home, trying to get him to pay Petersen a debt he said he doesn’t owe.

The complainant said he’d been to a frat party in River Falls and was being driven around by a friend. They saw Petersen, an acquaintance, outside a house, so the victim sent him a SnapChat message asking him if any other parties were happening. He said Petersen told him to come to his house, so his friend dropped him off there around 2:10 a.m.

According to the victim, multiple people were hanging out at the home, but he didn’t know all their names. He said they were around 16-17 years old and attend River Falls High School. He said everything was fine for about 15 minutes until Petersen, out of nowhere, starting demanding he pay him money he owes him. The victim said he doesn’t owe Petersen any money and didn’t know what he was talking about. When Petersen continued to get angrier and angrier, the victim said he tried to text his brother for help, but that Petersen took his phone, body slammed him and slapped him repeatedly, all while filming him on his phone. Police noted he had a large bruise near his eye and red marks all over his face.

Petersen allegedly grabbed him by the sweatshirt and dragged him into the kitchen, where he continued to slap him, swear at him and demand money. He said Petersen demanded he take him to his house to get his credit card so he could pay him. Petersen forced the victim into a vehicle with four others, who drove to Kwik Trip (1238 N. Main St., River Falls). Petersen allegedly demanded the victim use tap pay to withdraw money, but the victim told him he couldn’t do that, so they decided to bring him to his residence in Hudson.

At the residence, Petersen reportedly grabbed the victim’s sweatshirt and forced him inside. He said he didn’t call out to his mom or brother for help because he was scared. He said Petersen threatened to steal his Xbox and an expensive sweatshirt, but he convinced him not to. He said while they were in his room, Petersen grabbed a steak knife off a plate on his desk and raised it toward him, demanding the victim pay him. The victim grabbed his credit card and they went outside to get back into the vehicle.

They arrived at the Hudson Kwik Trip (2401 Crest View Drive), parked at the pumps and went inside, where the group clustered around him at the ATM. The victim said he tried to get an employee’s attention but wasn’t successful. He said he intentionally put the wrong PIN number in the ATM so he couldn’t withdraw money. The group then left and took the victim back to his residence, where Petersen allegedly told him he has a week to pay him or he has people on SnapChat who will shoot and kill him. He also bragged about having access to guns. Petersen then gave him his phone back and allowed him to leave, he said. He went inside and called police. 

Officers from River Falls, St. Croix County and Hudson gathered video surveillance from Kwik Trip, area homes and traffic cameras that corroborates the victim’s story. He told officers he didn’t run from the group because Petersen held onto his sweatshirt and he didn’t want to get jumped by the whole group.

Thanks to the victim’s SnapChat map, police were able to pinpoint Petersen’s location at 561 N. Dallas St. When police responded there, they found the front door open and the lights on. Looking through the front door, police saw items scattered across the floor. After knocking and ringing the doorbell for about six minutes, Petersen came to the door and stepped outside without being asked. During the conversation, Petersen’s story changed multiple times. He said nothing physical had happened between him and the complainant; he denied slapping, pushing or hanging onto his sweatshirt. He also said his phone was dead, but police saw it with 100% charge plugged in when they escorted Petersen to his room for clothes. Officers confiscated the phone for evidence, arrested Petersen and transported him to St. Croix County Jail.

Officers identified the other people who had been in the vehicle and interviewed them. Their stories mostly matched the victim’s, as far as the locations they went and the fact that Petersen was trying to get money out of the victim.

Petersen is scheduled to appear in St. Croix County Court at a pre-trial scheduling conference in Court Room 3 at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 15.