Robbers in River Falls try but fail to retake ‘stolen marijuana’ for a buddy

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They claimed they were being paid to get back some pot that a friend in Prescott lost in a burglary. To show they meant business for the job, they allegedly brought a handgun and brass knuckles.

The three males suspects, one a UW-River Falls student, targeted someone living in a rental duplex in the 900 block of Sycamore Street after dark last Thursday night, March 29. They were seen wearing dark clothing.

One suspect opened the door inside the duplex. A man inside was playing a video game. For some reason the suspects had a change of heart and quickly left. They walked over to an older car and drove away on East Charlotte Street. The intended victim called River Falls police.

An officer stopped the 1991 Buick LeSabre at Park and Main streets. The gun and brass knuckles were allegedly found in the back. One suspect had a huge wad of cash in the pocket of his jeans that he wore under a black pair of sweatpants and a black hoodie sweatshirt.

The men ended up in jail. One was wanted for a warrant. Another was later charged by the district attorney with carrying a concealed weapon. The other was charged with criminal trespass.

Police also:

--Arrested a 22-year-old UW-RF male student for battery and disorderly conduct last week 2:45 a.m. Tuesday, March 27, at an apartment at 340 W. Johnson St. A female tenant there, described as intoxicated with red swelling under one ear, claimed the man hit her during an argument about sex.

She and another woman had returned to her place from the downtown bars with two men to crash for the night. Later, she said the 22-year-old came to her room wanting to have sex. She refused. They argued, he allegedly hit her and she forced him to leave the apartment.

The man said the two had just been “fooling around” together. When officers showed up he was banging on the apartment door. He said he’d left his wallet in the woman’s apartment and wanted it back.

The man was booked at the police station and given fines totaling more than $500.

--Cited the 45-year-old male owner of Shooter’s Bar, 105 E. Elm St., with being open after hours around 2:40 a.m. Saturday. An officer patrolling downtown after bar closing allegedly saw a group of people inside Shooter’s and went in to check on things.

The officer was told the people inside were bartenders and band members. One man eating at the bar allegedly had a shot glass with whiskey.

The officer said he was first told by the owner that there was no alcohol in the glass. A bartender reached for the glass but the officer said to leave it alone.

Later the officer was told that it was an old drink with whiskey that hadn’t been cleared away yet. The officer, however, noted there were ice cubes in the glass.

The Shooter’s owner finally took responsibility for the oversight and was given a $177 fine.

For more, please see Police Beat in the April 4 print edition of the River Falls Journal.

Tags: river falls, news, crime, courts