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The latest from the Mendota Heights Police Department
SUPPORT STAFF
Kim Henning
Trista Miller
Becky Pentel
POLICE OFFICERS
Jerry Murphy
Scott Patrick
John Larrive
Bobby Lambert
Tanner Spicer
Todd Rosse
Jeff Vonfeldt
Steven Meyer
Denise Urmann
Michael Shepard
Peyton Fleming
SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICER
Jennifer Fordham
INVESTIGATIONS
Mario Reyes
Chad Willson
SERGEANTS
Neil Garlock
Brian Convery
Eric Petersen
RESERVES
Randy Pentel
Jim Knox
Jeff Parker
George Castillo
CHAPLAINS
Frances Cuenca
Joel Detlefsen
Lynn Liberman
Butch Millett
Sue Plucker
John Snider
David Wick
Lenny Andrie
CHIEF
Mike Aschenbrener
JANUARY 10, 2014
Submitted By: Police Ofϐicer John Larrive Vehicle Theft
In MN, a vehicle is stolen every hour of every day, every month, all year. Think about it… while you
were sleeping, 8 vehicles were stolen; over the weekend, 72 vehicles were stolen; while on a 2‐week
vacation, 336 vehicles vanish. The numbers are staggering! A thief is a lazy entrepreneur who will
move onto the next victim if they have to work too hard to get the job done. We need to eliminate the
opportunity for a theft to take place.
If you would like your vehicle stolen, here are a few tips to make sure it happens:
Warm your cars up unattended during those cold MN Winters.
Leave your vehicle unlocked and unattended.
Leave your vehicle parked outside… thieves scope out neighborhoods looking for
unattended vehicles whether locked or unlocked. Please use garages if possible,
lock doors and we encourage anti‐theft devices.
The City of Mendota Heights Ordinance 6‐2‐2b is in place to help prevent such theft.
The e‐cigarette was introduced in 2007 and is meant to be an
alternative to smoking tobacco. While E‐cigarettes do not contain
tobacco, there is a mechanism that heats up liquid nicotine, turning
it into a vapor to inhale. Some users claim that since they are
reusable, they e‐cigarette makes the nicotine habit cheaper.
There has been a lot of controversy over the risks of the e‐cigarette, especially since they
are not regulated by the FDA and since they don’t contain tobacco, they are not subject to
U.S. tobacco laws. Also, there are no age restrictions on purchasing e‐cigarettes which
makes appealing to young children leaving them at risk for future addiction. Add in the
funky, techy designs and ϐlavors and you have a creative method for a nicotine buzz.
E‐cigarette manufacturers claim that it is “the cigarette that you can smoke anywhere,” yet
regulatory agencies around the world are taking a closer look at this trend and applying
restrictions toward their use. The City of Mendota Heights has just passed an amended
tobacco ordinance and among the changes is a restriction for e‐cigarettes.
The City of Mendota Heights Ordinance 3‐2‐3 states:
L. Smoking of e‐cigarettes is prohibited in any area that Minnesota State Statute
restricts the smoking of tobacco products with the exception of businesses licensed
to sell alcohol (or licensed to allow e‐cigarettes).
The controversy on the e‐cigarette is only the beginning. State lawmakers are planning on
introducing e‐cigarettes bans and further research has yet to be conducted to prove the
risks of the e‐cigarette.
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Crisis/Mental Health Thursday 1912 hours
Officers Eric Petersen and Peyton Fleming responded to a crisis call where the RP reported her daughter had
a knife but mom was able to retrieve it from her before the daughter fled. The daughter was upset because
her mom and boyfriend had returned $300 worth of Christmas gifts due to her unacceptable behavior. The
irate daughter grabbed a kitchen knife in anger, stabbed it into a plastic Christmas ornament box, returned it
to the kitchen and fled the home. She was unable to be located. Investigator Willson issued a citation for
Disorderly Conduct to the young woman; cleared by arrest.
Suicide Attempt Thursday 1913 hours
Officer Michael Shepard was called to a home on a suicide attempt. Upon arrival he met with a husband
whose wife had attempted to overdose on prescription pills. In speaking with the woman, she said she had
confessed an affair to her husband earlier in the day and he wanted nothing more to do with her. That upset
her so she proceeded to take extra prescription pills. She was voluntarily transported to the hospital to speak
with someone who could help her.
Crash Friday 2349 hours
Officer Jeff VonFeldt responded to a location on a 2 vehicle accident. In arriving at the scene, it turns out
the 2nd vehicle had fled the scene. Vehicle 2 had rear ended vehicle 1. After investigating vehicle 2’s license
plate further, a phone number was found for the registered owner. The male stated his daughter was driving
the vehicle and was unable to stop due to freezing rain and slid into vehicle 1. The male of vehicle 1 jumped
out of the car and was a “big guy” who scared her so she fled the scene. There were no injuries, no charges.
Found Property Friday 2306 hours
Officer Michael Shepard had found a functional, portable speaker in the roadway. It was a HMDX Jam
Wireless Speaker, red in color. No owner has come forward as of this time.
No DL Saturday 2218 hours
While on routine patrol, Officer Michael Shepard witnessed a vehicle driving without headlights on and
snow covering the rear windows. The driver was stopped and it was discovered that the driver did not have a
valid drivers license. The driver was cited and car was towed.
Burglary Sunday 0022 hours
Officer Denise Urmann was dispatched to a home on an after the fact burglary. In meeting with the
complainant, she stated that she and her friends were in the home about 20 minutes prior while there were
some cars outside in the opened garage, warming up. They then heard a horn and went out to find their cars
had been rifled through. The doors had been left open and the center consoles were ajar. Approximately
$20 in change, a phone charger and a pair of sunglasses were taken. There are no suspects.
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Detox Tuesday 2110 hours
Officers Michael Shepard and Todd Rosse were dispatched to a home on a report of a drunk male who was
out of control and throwing things. Upon arriving at the home, it appeared the male had been intoxicated
and stated that his girlfriend and son were mocking him so he got angry. The girlfriend said he then began
throwing things and attempted to light a fortune cookie bag on fire. The man thought leaving on foot in –9
weather would be OK because he was ex-military. He was advised this was not a good idea and was
transported to detox.
Damage to Property Wednesday 1320 hours
Officer Bobby Lambert reported to a residence on a property damage report. In meeting with the
homeowner, she stated that someone had damaged her large 8-foot fish slide statue that was located outside
her front doors. The “bug eyes” on the fish statue were damaged and it appeared as if the suspect (s) had also
gone down the slide. There were footprints in the snow; however, no suspects at this time.
Fraud Wednesday 1555 hours
Officer Bobby Lambert spoke with a complainant via telephone in regard to a fraudulent charge on her Wells
Fargo checking account. A charge had been made at the Fireside Bar & Grill. In recapping her day, she
remembered she had eaten at a local restaurant and forgot her credit card there but soon came back to
retrieve it. The card had only been out of her possession for 10 minutes so she assumed someone decided to
get some quick take-out at the Fireside.
Domestic Thursday 1110 hours
Officer Bobby Lambert and Sergeant Neil Garlock responded to a home on a husband/wife domestic. The
wife was found to be yelling at her husband and told officers that she had just found out her husband had
been cheating on her through evidence on his phone. The wife admitted to striking her husband in the face
several times. The husband was concerned about the firearms in the home so officers let him safeguard them
for safety reasons. The husband had left the home for the night.
Be sure to check out the attached flyer announcing the first ever MHPD vs MHFD Wing-Eating Contest,
02/01/14 at The Moose Country! MHPD is an enthusiastic supporter of Special Olympics and in an effort
to continue this tradition, we are seeking raffle prize donations. We will accept cash donations to purchase
raffle items, or if you’d rather contribute a prize, we would gladly accept those too.
Prize Ideas: Goody baskets (coffee, beer, spa, wine, chocolate), event tickets or packages, kid-friendly
prizes, sporting goods, or collectibles. Contact MHPD at 651.452.1366 to learn more about making a
tax-deductible prize donation.
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In the spirit of competition, we at MHPD would like to inform you that in the summer, 2014 MHPD
vs MHFD Kickball Competition, MHPD was the clear winner in that challenge. We are just as
confident that we will maintain our champion status in this event. Come & cheer us ALL on!
5
Our very own Police
Officer Jennifer
Fordham was
featured in an article
in the January
edition of the
St. Paul Voice
newspaper!
The article is titled
“Women in Action.”
The article
introduces a few
select female officers
around the
community to get to
know and recognize
them for their
accomplishments.
Way to go Jenny!
We appreciate your
extra effort!
Please send us your
positive feedback
on our staff to:
pdrecords@
mendota-heights.com
Your feedback is greatly
appreciated and helps boost
the morale of our staff.
Have a Safe Week!
Check out the MH Crime Map! Click below to search your neighborhood:
http://mendota.prophoenix.com/CS/CrimeMapping.aspx
If you are a Mendota Heights resident and you are going out of town or on
vacation, you can notify MHPD of your outing and we will be more than happy to
keep a watchful eye on your home while you are away. The House Check Request
online form is available on our website; we have similar forms in the MHPD lobby
and we will take your info over the phone.
MHPD offers monthly Car Seat Safety Checks. To schedule an appointment,
call 651.452.1366 to contact Ofϐicer Jennifer Fordham.
MHPD has a Medication Disposal Box in the lobby of the PD where Dakota
County residents can safely and anonymously dispose of their prescription drugs
and over‐the‐counter medication.
1/03—1/10 2014 YTD
Calls for Service 159 195
Citations 29 30
Warnings 13 16
Police Reports 17 21
Response Time Average 5.12 6.49