(TheLastPatriotNews.com) – A Democrat state senator from Minnesota has been arrested on allegations of burglary, casting a shadow over the Democratic Party’s control of the state Senate.
Law enforcement officials took 49-year-old Senator Nicole Mitchell into custody on Monday on charges related to a reported “active burglary” at a residence in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, as reported by the local police department.
The arrest occurred around 4:45 a.m., and Mitchell was later formally charged with first-degree burglary, The Daily Wire reports.
Elected for the first time in 2022, Senator Mitchell was detained at the Becker County Jail following her arrest.
She was released on Tuesday after a court session presided over by District Judge Gretchen Thilmony, during which she was granted release on her own recognizance, according to the Detroit Lakes Tribune.
The property where Mitchell was apprehended is owned by her stepmother, who has since obtained a restraining order against her.
According to the criminal complaint filed against her, Mitchell was discovered in the basement of the home dressed entirely in black. She was reportedly retrieving some personal items belonging to her father when the police arrived.
“I was just trying to get a couple of my dad’s things because you wouldn’t talk to me anymore,” Mitchell explained to her stepmother, CBS News reported.
Among the items Mitchell allegedly attempted to take were photographs, a flannel shirt, and some ashes. She acknowledged her lack of prowess in the act to the arresting officers:
“Clearly I’m not good at this. I know I did something bad,” she stated in the complaint.
The incident comes at a precarious time for the Minnesota Democrats, who hold a slender majority of just one seat in the state Senate.
A spokesperson for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Senate caucus conveyed to CBS that they were “aware of the situation” regarding Senator Mitchell.
Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy reacted to the arrest by expressing her dismay at the allegations, which she described as deeply troubling.
“The behavior alleged is far outside the character she has established in the Senate and in her distinguished career in the military. We believe in due process, and Senator Mitchell has the right to a full defense of her case in court,” Murphy stated.
In contrast, Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson demanded Mitchell’s resignation, underscoring the expectation of high ethical standards for legislators.
“The public expects Legislators to meet a high standard of conduct. As information comes out, we expect the consequences to meet the actions, both in the court of law, and in her role at the legislature,” Johnson remarked.
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