2021 Vol 15, Issue 5 September Gem Lake News

Home

Gem Lake News Page 5 of 6 As highwaySales Whew. By now, Darlene and other staff members were starting to realize the gravity of the situation and watched from inside the building as police handcuffed the suspect, just outside the back door. It felt surreal. It was still early morning! Multiple law enforcement agencies, including Highway Patrol, had been on this person’s tail almost from the beginning and he wasn’t going anywhere! As it turned out, the suspect wasn’t armed and had been reaching repeatedly to pull up his pants. It also emerged that this person had multiple felony warrants out for his arrest. As the day wore on and she was able to exhale, Darlene says she was extremely grateful to her employees and to the wonderful response from law enforcement. The Highway Patrol stopped in to check on them multiple times during the afternoon and the following day. They wanted to make sure she was okay and had not been physically harmed by the suspect. “I was so impressed and touched by their follow up and concern about me. Anyone who doesn ’t think these guys do a great job, should come and talk to me.” Hoffman Road Project Completed! A much-needed mill and overlay project was recently completed in the Hoffman Road business district. The section of road from near Highway 61 to the south, up to County Road E on the north side, was in need of a facelift. The road had been in need of repair for several years. Rather than starting over with a completely new road surface, the Gem Lake City Council opted for the less expensive mill and overlay approach. This was done in anticipation of future development in this area someday. The mill and overlay is expected to last approximately 7 years. Highway 61. Speeds apparently reached 80-100 miles per hour at morning rush hour. At some point after the car left the freeway, the suspect crashed into a highway guardrail at the Northwest corner of Highway 61 and County Road E. As he ditched his car and started running, the entire incident was caught on highway cameras. He darted across County Road E going south and then across Highway 61 going east (during heavy traffic!) He dodged multiple cars and semi- trucks and then tried to grab a car at the used car dealership. No luck. He is then seen darting for the White Bear Floral delivery truck or the other vehicle parked outside the back door/service entrance. Darlene was confused about what exactly he wanted. He kept shouting “Give me the keys!” and Darlene kept responding “Which keys?” At this point, five foot nothing and over 70 years old, Darlene was scared for her own safety. The suspect confronted another employee who was in the garage area and got within several inches of her face. A White Bear Floral delivery driver named Kurt was shouting at him to get the #$#@ out and leave them alone. He was in the back at the time, making boxes for his deliveries. Another White Bear Floral employee named Bill, had seen the whole incident unfold from outside, where he was watering plants. Police were in hot pursuit and initially shouted to him to stay out of the building. He responded that his boss and fellow employees were inside and ran down to grab the guy and shove him out of the building, which he was able to do successfully. He just happened to get there first. The Highway Patrol and another law enforcement agency were right there and arrested the suspect immediately. Carjacker Thwarted in Gem Lake (continued from pg.1)