Suspect in Brainerd AMBER Alert in custody; woman, children safe, sheriff says
BRAINERD, Minn. — Authorities say a man is in custody after allegedly abducting a pregnant woman and her four children, which prompted an AMBER Alert near Brainerd Friday morning. The victims were unharmed.
Chad Aanerud, 35, is also a suspect in a fatal shooting connected to the abduction, the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office said.
The abduction occurred in Maple Grove Township just before 2 a.m., according to the sheriff's office. Aanerud took his 33-year-old girlfriend and her four children — ages 14, 11, 7 and 3 — from a home at gunpoint, the sheriff's office said.
Around 7:15 a.m., authorities stopped Aanerud's vehicle in Morrison County. He was arrested and the woman and children were found in the vehicle unharmed, the sheriff's office said.
Authorities identified the victim fatally shot as 62-year-old Lyle Maske. The shooting and abduction are both under investigation, according to authorities.
The sheriff's office said Aanerud is also suspected of burning down a home on the property where the fatal shooting happened.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension later confirmed that the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office canceled the AMBER Alert and thanked all who helped in the search.