Brown County District Court

• A felony 1st-degree damage to property charge – value reduced more than $1,000 was filed Aug. 7, 2023 against Brett M. Zangel, 30, 305 Douglas Ave., Hanska. A Zoom hearing was set for 8:30 a.m. Sept. 5, 2023.

According to court documents, Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Bauer took a call from a victim about a property damage incident that just happened in Hanska at 1:20 a.m., May 27, 2023. The caller said she walked out the back door of her residence and saw a person identified as Zangel sitting on her motorcycle about 30 feet from her backdoor.

The caller called out Zangel and he ran away down the alley. The caller’s mother followed Zangel down the alley. The victim reported “keying” damage on the motorcycle fuel tank that had recent decals and paint.

Deputy Bauer arrived at the Hanska residence but was unable to contact Zangel. He received repair estimates of more than $1,000.

• A 4th-degree drug sale schedule IV or V to a person under age 18 charge was filed Aug. 10, 2023 against Tracy A. Winter, 39, 1711 Crestview Dr., New Ulm. A Zoom hearing was set for 8:30 a.m. Sept. 5, 2023.

According to court documents, New Ulm Police Senior Investigator Chris Moellenhoff interviewed a witness who shares custody with two sons, both under age 18. The witness said the juveniles sometimes had difficulty sleeping and were given melatonin, a sleep aid.

In addition, the witness said he and his current wife, witness 2, noticed a juvenile seemed more sleepy than usual, so he looked at his cell phone and found a conservation with Winter about her putting medication in a backpack for him.

Witness 1 said they questioned a juvenile about the medication and learned from Winter that she gave the juvenile three Xanax tables that were cut in half. Xanax is an anti-anxiety medication. Witness 1 said Winter told him she got Xanax from the juvenile’s pediatrician and the tablets were samples.

Witness 1 contacted New Ulm Medical Center (NUMC) about Xanax samples and was told NUMC does not give out drug samples. Witness 1 said the juvenile had nothing in his medical records showing he was prescribed Xanax.

Witness 1 said he had the pills. Investigator Moellenhoff took custody of them for evidence and noticed the numbers 257 on them. Investigator Moellenhoff identified the pills as Alprazolam, a generic name for Xanax, A schedule IV controlled substance.

New Ulm Police Senior Investigator Jeff Hohensee interviewed Winter at the law enforcement center and asked her about the medication in the case. Winter admitted to placing two and one half pills in a sandwich bag that was put in the juvenile’s backpack after getting them from a nurse, whom she wished not to name, at one of her boy’s baseball practices.