Brown County District Court

• A felony escape from custody charge was filed against Dylan J. Zeitz, 24, 421 15th Street South March 13, 2023.

According to court documents, New Ulm Police Investigator Andrew Konechne learned from Minnesota Probation AgentNola Seidl that she issued an apprehension and detention order for Zeitz because he violated jail furlough terms.

Zeitz was released from the Brown County Jail Feb. 23, 2023 at 8 a.m. for medical treatment in Rochester and was to immediately return to jail after he was discharged from treatment. Agent Seidl said she talked with Zeitz’ family member on the phone and learned Zeitz did not have surgery and it was rescheduled.

Zeitz’ family member said he would turn himself in by the next Monday afternoon but that never happened. Investigator Konechne got a phone call from Zeitz’ mother who confirmed her son did not receive treatment, was not in Rochester and she didn’t know where he was. An arrest warrant was requested.

Renville County District Court

• The Renville County Attorney’s Office announced Monday that on Friday, March 10, 2023, following a one-day jury trial, a Renville County jury found a Redwood Falls man guilty of Felony Controlled Substance Crime in the Fifth Degree. Renville County Attorney Kelsie Kingstrom prosecuted the case.

Wesley Lemar Andreasen, 20, of Redwood Falls, MN, was found guilty based on his actions that took place on September 28, 2021.

According to the criminal complaint and testimony at trial, Mr. Andreasen was driving through the city of Fairfax when his vehicle was stopped. A search of the vehicle located a baggie of small blue pills, known to law enforcement as oxycodone or generic Percocet.

Mr. Andreasen and his three other passengers purchased the pills in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area believing them to be oxycodone. However, after testing was completed by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the pills were discovered to be fentanyl. No oxycodone was located in the pills. The jury found that Mr. Andreasen possessed the pills, notwithstanding the other passengers.

Andreasen will be sentenced on April 27, 2023 at 2:15 p.m. at the Renville County Courthouse.

County Attorney Kingstrom stated, “The amount of cases I prosecute where the substance ends up being something totally different than what the person believed it to be is staggering. Any controlled substance taken without direction of a medical professional is extremely dangerous, which is why they are “controlled” by the State of Minnesota. Mr. Andreasen and his passengers were extremely lucky that a felony conviction is all that came out of this case, and not a funeral.”