DETROIT LAKES, Minnesota — A Minnesota state senator is now facing charges in connection with a burglary at a Detroit Lakes home earlier this week.
On Tuesday, the Becker County Prosecutor’s Office charged Sen. Nicole Mitchell, DFL-Woodbury, 49, with first-degree burglary.
Police say officers were called around 4:45 a.m. Monday to a residence near Granger Road and Long Avenue after the homeowner called 911 to report a burglary in progress.
Police say Mitchell was found inside, arrested and booked into the Becker County Jail.
Mitchell burglarized his stepmother’s house to get his dead father’s belongings, charges say
According to the criminal complaint, the house accused of burglary belonged to his mother-in-law.
The mother-in-law called the police to report that someone had broken into her home. When officers arrived, the suspect – later identified as Mitchell – ran into the basement.
Mitchell was wearing black clothing and a black hat when officers found her in the basement, according to the complaint. They found a flashlight with a sock and a black backpack nearby. The backpack contained two laptops, a cell phone, Tupperware and Mitchell’s identification documents.
Investigators said Mitchell told them his father had recently died and his stepmother did not want to talk to Mitchell or other family members.
“I was just trying to get some of my dad’s things because you wouldn’t talk to me anymore,” Mitchell told his stepmother during his arrest, according to the complaint.
The items Mitchell sought were “photographs, a flannel shirt, ashes and other items of sentimental value,” the complaint states.
Mitchell allegedly gave police the same motive, also saying she had just “entered the house.”
“Obviously I’m not good at this,” she said, according to investigators, adding, “I know I did something wrong.”
Investigators said Mitchell entered the home through a basement window.
Police questioned Mitchell about one of the laptops found in her bag, which when turned on had the stepmother’s name on it. She said her mother-in-law gave it to her, which she denied.
Mitchell made her first court appearance Tuesday morning where she was released on conditions. These conditions include, among other things, obeying the law and appearing in court in the future.
His next court hearing is set for June 10.
Mitchell says she was watching over a family member with Alzheimer’s, not stealing
In a statement posted on her state senator’s Facebook page, Mitchell denied stealing anything and said she entered the home out of concern for a sick family member.
Mitchell said the incident was a “real tragedy” for her family and said she hopes it can “become a private matter.” She also thanked friends and colleagues “from both parties” for their support.
Read Mitchell’s full statement below:
Regarding recent news:
Like so many families, mine deals with the pain of watching a loved one decline due to Alzheimer’s disease and the paranoia associated with it.
Over the weekend, I learned of some medical information that really concerned me and prompted me to check on this family member. I walked into a house that I have come and gone from countless times over the past 20 years, and where my son even once had his own room.Unfortunately, I scared this relative, which exacerbated the paranoia, and I was accused of theft, which I absolutely deny.
Thank you to all my friends (and colleagues in both parties) for their kind words of support and for trusting my character before I even had a chance to respond.
This has been a real tragedy for our family and I hope it becomes a private matter again.
Lawmakers speak out and demand consequences
Mitchell is currently serving his first term as a state senator. A spokesperson for the Senate DFL Caucus said in a statement Monday that it was “aware of the situation” but would not comment.
On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said “the allegations against Senator Mitchell are upsetting.”
“The alleged behavior is far outside the character she developed in the Senate and during her distinguished career in the military,” Murphy said. “We believe in due process, and Senator Mitchell has the right to a full defense of her case in court. In the days and weeks ahead, Senator Mitchell will also need to have serious and difficult conversations with her colleagues, her voters and his family.”
Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, said in a statement that Mitchell’s alleged actions necessitated his resignation.
“I understand the difficult situation his family is facing, but the actions taken by Senator Mitchell are concerning,” Johnson said. “The complaint filed by the Becker County Prosecutor outlines the case of an individual who carefully prepared to burglarize the home of a family member. This behavior is unbecoming of a member of the Legislature and she must immediately resign from the Senate.”
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Mitchell, who also served as a television meteorologist and commander of the Air National Guard, was elected in 2022 and is in the middle of her first term.
