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.
The mother of the pregnant victim said she was up in Duluth with her husband getting medical treatment, when she learned the news.
Early on, authorities feared the worst at that point, assuming her daughter and grandchildren were dead inside the burning home.
The mother said the statewide Amber Alert began with 35-year-old Chad Aanerud assaulting her daughter at the family home.
Some of the children went to get help. That's when she said a neighbor, 62-year-old Lyle Maske arrived, and was shot by Aanerud in the driveway.
The mother said Aanerud then lit the house on fire and took off with the victims.
"When I saw my daughter, she is beat to hell, he is very traumatized," said the victim's mother.
She said her daughter and Aanerud were ex-partners, and her daughter is pregnant with Aanerud's child.
While family is thankful those victims escaped the ordeal, they lost the home they all shared
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.
