Democrat Sen Nicole Mitchell was arrested early Monday morning for 1st degree burglary in Detroit Lakes. She spent over 24 hours in the Becker County jail and was released following her first hearing on Tuesday morning. The County attorney is charging her with burglary in the first degree, which if found guilty, could sentence her up to 20 years in prison.
As of the publication of this article, Sen Mitchell has only made one public statement and it was a Facebook post. Her statement is absurd and contradicts many things from the official police report.
THE CONTRADICTIONS
1) Mitchell says she “learned of medical information” of a “loved one” who is declining from Alzheimer’s and associated paranoia, which “prompted” her to check on that family member. However, the police report states that she arrived at 4:45 am Monday morning, was dressed in black, had a flashlight with a black sock over it and entered the basement window where a bag of items was used to prop it open. Who would conduct a welfare check on someone suffering from “paranoia” by entering through a basement window, in the dark, in the early morning hours?
2) Mitchell claims her step mother suffered from “paranoia” in the moment and accused her of “stealing” which she “absolutely den[ies].” In the police report, Mitchell provided a stated “I know I did something bad” after receiving her Miranda warning. The bag contained laptops, which Mitchell said belonged to her, but when it was turned on, the stepmother’s “name popped up.” Also, who breaks into a residence with their own laptop?
3) Mitchell’s claim that she was conducting a welfare check and wasn’t stealing anything is in contrast to what police observed once they arrived at the residence. Police found her in the basement, arrested her and while being detained she said “I was just trying to get my dad’s things because you wouldn’t talk to me anymore.”
4) Also, regarding Mitchell’s statement that she didn’t steal anything, Mitchell’s step mother stated to police that “she did not give a laptop to MITCHELL.”
If the crime itself wasn’t a call enough for Mitchell to resign from office, these clear lies to the public to save face should force an expulsion. Sen Nathan Wesenberg sent out a press release this morning calling for her resignation, otherwise he will make a motion to expel her from the Senate.
