Letting his dog outside the morning of August 1, Grant Marquette noticed the garage door to his shed was open. Investigating further, he discovered the door was heavily damaged and his Bobcat Tool Cat tractor, which had resided in the shed, was gone. In its place was a green Ford Ranger he’d never seen before.

Deputies from the Wright Co. Sheriff’s office responded to the scene. Following tracks leading out of the shed that were left by the missing tractor, deputies discovered and apprehended 53-year-old Bryan Lee Sauer still on the tractor in a field approximately a mile away from Marquette’s 160th St., Clearwater residence. He appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance and was in possession of methamphetamine.

“He thought he was being chased by the DEA (U.S. Dept. of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration),” said Marquette. “He stole the truck, drove it through the door of my shed, then tried to barricade himself in to hide.”

In his efforts to conceal himself, Sauer attempted to fix the door he’d driven through and blocked the windows so no light could get in. He then rummaged through Marquette’s belongings and smoked meth.

“The police did such a good job with their investigation and apprehension of Sauer,” said Marquette. “It was like a movie; they came out with the guy in handcuffs. They really went the extra mile.”

What concerns Marquette even more than the theft and burglary is that his security system failed to alert him even though it was armed at the time of the crimes.

After speaking with the company, he was left with the impression that they have no policy or protocol for after an incident occurs. He is now pressing for a policy to change that, so others won’t have to go through what he’s been through.

Sauer, who is from Dassel, was arrested on charges of motor vehicle theft, fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance, third-degree burglary, and first-degree criminal damage to property. He was charged August 2. As the case is pending with the state, further details were not yet available.