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Minnesota State Sen. Nicole Mitchell is accused by Becker County authorities of allegedly breaking into her stepmother's home to obtain her father's remains and memorabilia, authorities said.
CNN
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A Minnesota senator was charged with first-degree theft on Monday after allegedly breaking into his stepmother's home and recovering remains, ashes and other memorabilia related to his late father, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by CNN. was charged with a felony.
Police responded to a trespassing call in Detroit Lakes around 4:45 a.m. Monday and found state Sen. Nicole Mitchell in a basement wearing black clothing and a black hat, according to a probable cause report.
Probable cause documents say Mitchell, 49, told his stepmother during his arrest, “I was just trying to get some of my dad's things because you won't talk to me anymore.” There is.
“Obviously, I'm not good at this,” Mitchell told officers, according to the documents. “I know I did something wrong.”
Mitchell's attorney, Bruce Ringstrom Jr., told CNN that Mitchell was released without bail on conditions including not having contact with his stepmother. A pretrial hearing in the case is scheduled for June 10, according to Minnesota court records.
CNN has reached out to Mitchell's office for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. The state Senate is on Passover vacation, according to the Minnesota Legislature's website.
On Wednesday, state Senate Republicans filed an ethics complaint against Mitchell, a Democrat. “Senators must abide by the highest ethical standards. The public's trust has been violated,” state Sen. Eric Lucero said on the Senate floor.
The Ethics Commission investigation must begin within 30 days, but Lucero made a motion, opposed by Democrats, for the commission to begin work immediately.
Mitchell did not attend Wednesday's Senate session. “All things considered, Nicole is doing well,” Ringstrom, Nicole's attorney, said in a statement. She is motivated to return to her job and help prepare her defense. ”
Becker County Sheriff's Office
Minnesota State Senator Nicole Mitchell.
Mitchell posted a statement on Facebook Tuesday afternoon, saying he entered the home to check on his family's safety after “learning medical information that raises serious concerns.” The senator did not elaborate on which family he was referring to.
“Unfortunately, I frightened this next of kin and exacerbated his paranoia, leading to him being accused of theft, which I absolutely deny,” Mitchell said in the post.
According to probable cause documents, the senator said her father had recently passed away and her stepmother had cut off contact with her and other family members. She told officers she wanted to recover items that had “sentimental value,” including her photo, flannel shirt and her father's ashes, documents said.
When the officer asked Mitchell what brought her “to this point,” she said it was her father's remains, the document said.
Officers searched Mitchell's backpack, which contained two laptops, a cell phone, a driver's license, a Senate ID card and Tupperware, according to the probable cause affidavit. .
One of the laptops had his stepmother's name displayed on the screen, according to court documents. According to the documents, Mitchell said her stepmother gave her her laptop “a long time ago,” but she said her stepmother never gave Mitchell the laptop.
CNN's Andy Rose contributed to this report.