George Raymond Kortte, 77, Sleepy Eye, was charged with felony 2nd and 3rd-degree burglary and misdemeanor theft Feb. 15,
According to court documents, Sleepy Eye Police Officer Elliott Waterbury took a Jan. 13 phone call from a man who said he thought someone was in his apartment while he was away at work. The man said he noticed things missing from his apartment after coming home from work.
Later, officer Peter McGarry got a call from the man who said he checked with his neighbor who had video footage of a person coming up stairs towards his apartment and identified the suspects as Cheryl Rose Mussehl and Kortte.
The man said he thought his front door was damaged from the couple trying to enter his apartment including damage to a door knob, door frame trim and a door dent.
Video showed a woman, officer Waterbury recognized from other contacts, walking down stairs with items in her hands.
Officer Waterbury tried to contact a male suspect at his Sleepy Eye apartment when a female walked by and said Kortte and Mussehl were not home. The female gave officer Waterbury a phone number and said she recently used it to talk to the male suspect.
Officer Waterbury called the number and talked to a man who said he didn’t know where Mussehl was and refused to give out her phone number. Officer Waterbury said he wanted to talk to Kortte and Mussehl about them going into her old apartment without permission and taking items. The man said the items belonged to Mussehl.
Officer Waterbury said the couple didn’t have to talk to him but he was going to write a report and send it off for burglary charges.
The next day, Officer Waterbury learned from a day shift officer that the Kortte and Mussehl called about the incident and said they didn’t know anything about it.
The same charges were filed against Mussehl Feb. 8. A remote Zoom hearing for Mussehl and Kortte was set for 8:30 a.m. March 5.
Cheryl Rose Mussehl, 68, Sleepy Eye, was charged with felony 2nd and 3rd-degree burglary and misdemeanor theft Feb. 8.
According to court documents, Sleepy Eye Police Officer Elliott Waterbury took a Jan. 13 phone call from a man who said he thought someone was in his apartment while he was away at work. The man said he noticed things missing from his apartment after coming home from work.
Later, officer Peter McGarry got a call from the man who said he checked with his neighbor who had video footage of a person coming up stairs towards his apartment and identified the suspect as Mussehl and another man.
The man said he thought his front door was damaged from the couple trying to enter his apartment including damage to a door knob, door frame trim and a door dent.
Officer Waterbury tried to contact a male suspect at his Sleepy Eye apartment when a female walked by and said the man and Mussehl were not home. The female gave officer Waterbury a phone number and said she recently used it to talk to the male suspect.
Officer Waterbury called the number and talked to a man who said he didn’t know where Mussehl was and refused to give out her phone number. Officer Waterbury said he wanted to talk to the man and Mussehl about them going into her old apartment without permission and taking items. The man said the items belonged to Mussehl.
Officer Waterbury said the couple didn’t have to talk to him but he was going to write a report and send it off for burglary charges.
The next day, Officer Waterbury learned from a day shift officer that the male suspect and Mussehl called about the incident and said they didn’t know anything about it. The day officer said the couple could call officer Waterbury after 4 p.m. Officer Waterbury did not receive a call from Mussehl or the man that evening.
BrowSheriff Press Release
Type of Incident: Two Vehicle Crash with Single Fatality
Date of Incident: 01-11-2024 Time of Incident: 1424 hours
Location of Incident: Brown County Road 20 and 140th Avenue
Names, Ages, Address of Person(s) involved:
Dean Martin Steffensmeier, 13945 State Highway 15, Hanska, Minnesota 56041 – age 76
Donna Lee Steffensmeier, 13945 State Highway 15, Hanska, Minnesota 56041 – age 75
Steven Don Howard, 300 Chancery Lane, Mankato Minnesota 56001 – age 72
Details of Incident:
The Brown County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota received a 9-1-1 call on 01-11-2024 at 1424 hours of a two vehicle crash at the intersection of Brown County Road 20 and 140th Avenue. Dean Steffensmeier and his passenger, Donna Steffensmeier, were driving westbound on County Road 20 in a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. Steven Howard was driving northbound on 140th Avenue in a 2019 Toyota 4-Runner.
The two vehicles collided at the intersection of Brown County Road 20 and 140th Avenue. Donna Steffensmeier, 75, was pronounced deceased at the scene as a result of her injuries. Dean Steffensmeier, 76, was treated at the scene and flown by Mayo Air Ambulance to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Steven Howard, 72, was treated at the scene and released.
No alcohol or drug use was suspected. All occupants were wearing seat belts and front air bags, and side air bags were deployed. The Brown County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota State Patrol are investigating the two vehicle crash.
Agencies assisting at the scene include: Hanska Fire Department, Hanska First Responders, Allina (ground) Ambulance, Mayo Air Ambulance, Minnesota State Patrol, and the Brown County Sheriff’s Office.
Sleepy Eye Police Officers Taylor Bolinger and Peter McGarry along with Brown County Deputies Jason Fairbairn and Justin Robertson, State Trooper Valerie Hauser and Brown County Dispatcher Julie Hellendrung were honored with the Meritorious Service Awards January 8 at a ceremony.
The group collaberated on the arrest of the murder suspect of Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram. The apprehension took place September 13 in Leavenworth Township. The Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota State Patrol Air Unit, Sleepy Eye Police Department, and Brown County Sheriff’s Office Deputies “took the suspect into custody without incident” around 11:49 p.m.
The award was presented by the Minnesota South Central Investigators Coalition.
Fritz Busch
SLEEPY EYE – A 37-year-old Sleepy Eye man accused of holding a large knife near police in his residence Wednesday and burglarizing Ross Park Apartments the next morning, faces six felony charges in two criminal cases filed in Brown County District Court Friday.
According to court documents, Sleepy Eye Police Officer Peter McGarry took a phone call at about 9 p.m. Wednesday from the Mathiowetz Body Shop owner at Main Street West and 7th Avenue. The caller said he was leaving the shop when he was approached by a man on foot who was acting very strangely.
Peterson said he was locked outside the house, but got inside and invited police inside. Peterson threw a hammer into a living room near the officers that bounced off a table. Peterson then walked toward McGarry while holding a knife about 6 inches long, in front of his face.
McGarry took a few steps backwards and began to pull out his service weapon just before Peterson put the knife down, on a table.
Also according to court documents, the officers left the house. Officer McGarry called Sleepy Eye Police Chief Matt Andres and told him what happened. Andres recommended Peterson be arrested for the knife incident. Officer McGarry called Brown County Deputy Derek Shaw and asked him to assist with the arrest. Shaw agreed and arrived with two other deputies. Officers knocked on Peterson’s door many times and got no answer, then left.
On Thursday, Andres received a phone call about an unknown male at Ross Park Apartments early in the morning that damaged property and created other issues, according to the court documents. The caller told Andres that a man entered the vestibule entrance with a baseball bat at about 4:58 a.m. and left the bat in the vestibule waiting for the front door to open automatically at 5 a.m. The witness said Peterson knocked on many apartment doors.
Andres arrested Peterson at about 7:05 a.m. at Hardee’s.
Peterson was charged with two counts of felony second-degree burglary, two counts of felony third-degree burglary, misdemeanor fourth-degree damage to property, theft and disorderly conduct in the first case filed against him. Charges filed in a second case include felony second-degree assault-dangerous weapon, felony threats of violence-reckless disregard risk and misdemeanor fifth-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
Vehicle 1
Fritz Busch
NEW ULM – A felony 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct charge was filed against a 69-year-old Sleepy Eye man Tuesday, Oct. 31 in Brown County District Court.
Gary Allen Thoms, 25189 N. Highway 4 was charged with felony 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct-penetration with a person under age 13, actor more than three years older. A Zoom hearing was set for 11:45 a.m., Nov. 1.
The victim said when she was about age 5, made her give him sex in Sleepy Eye. The victim said the incident happened only once.
Sleepy Eye Police Chief Matt Andres and Investigator Bohnen went to Thoms’ residence on Oct. 30, 2023, arrested him and transported him to the Sleepy Eye Police Department.
Investigator Bohnen read the Miranda Warning to Thoms who said he understood his rights, asked for a lawyer and did not want to talk. Thoms was transported to the Brown County Jail.
