Three young people — one a juvenile — are in custody  in connection with a fire Monday night at a unit at a hospital in Brainerd. 

 

All thanks to the awareness of one Becker Police Officer.

 

 At about 7 p.m. Monday, Brainerd police and fire personnel were dispatched to a report of a fire alarm at the Essentia Health-St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd. While in route to the hospital, officers learned a bed was lit on fire and it appeared the fire was intentionally set to facilitate an escape from a locked unit at the hospital.

 

Brainerd Police developed additional information about the suspect and learned the suspect and potentially two accomplices had fled the area in a vehicle.

 

The three alleged culprits were pulled over  by Becker Officer Chris Lindbloom as he made a stop of their vehicle while they cruised through Becker into Big Lake along Hwy. 10. Lindbloom had heard the state-wide alert and was keeping an eye out for the potential vehicle when he saw the vehicle come through town at around 11 p.m.

Lindbloom contacted dispatch and waited until other squad cars closed in and then did a felony stop (guns drawn) on the vehicle as they entered Big Lake. The three occupants were taken into custody without incident.

 

Big Lake, the State Patrol and Sherburne County Sheriff’s departments all assisted in the arrest.

 

Becker Police Chief Brent Baloun reported that apparently one of the three suspects had been locked up in the psych ward at the hospital and was the one who had set her bed on fire, which in turn set off an alarm and opened up the locked doors.

 

One of the suspects involved was identified as a 17-year-old juvenile female from Brainerd. She was arrested and transported to a juvenile detention center in Grand Rapids.

 

The two other individuals were identified as Raegan Sjolund, 18, and Jonathn Erickson, 24. Sjolund and Erickson were brought to the Sherburne County Jail where they are awaiting transfer to the Crow Wing County Jail. The Sherburne County Sheriff's Office website reports Sjolund and Erickson are being held on probable cause for arson.

 

Baloun said the Police Chief from Brainerd Corky McQuiston sent a “very nice email” thanking Officer Lindbloom for his work on apprehending these folks.

 

This incident will be referred to the Crow Wing County Attorney's Office for review pending formal charges. The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with additional information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Brainerd Police Dept. at 218-829-2805.