Cambridge Man Accused Of Stealing Teen's Hockey Bag
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 31-year-old Cambridge man is accused of stealing a girl's hockey bag with $2,800 in equipment from a front yard in Ham Lake late last week, according to charges filed in Anoka County Court.
Michael Hartsook Gotsch was charged with theft in connection with the incident, which happened last Friday.
According to the charges, the girl left her hockey bag in the front yard of her Ham Lake home. The routine was for her to rush home from practice, leave the bag in the yard and go to work. Her father would take the bag inside when he got home a short time later.
The complaint states last Friday, the girl's father got home and the hockey bag was gone, but a note from Gotsch was on the front door. It said Gotsch took the bag, but left his phone number in the event the bag wasn't discarded. The man called Gotsch, who said he would return the bag later that night. He didn't, and the man's wife called Gotsch pleading for him to return the bag.
The complaint states the girl was very upset, texted Gotsch with a threat to call police if the bag wasn't returned that night. She needed the bag for hockey practice Saturday morning.
Gotsch called the girl and yelled at her for talking to him in such a manner, hung up and called her mom. He yelled and swore at her about the text message, and asked if they were Indian because he said they sounded indian. He then said he wasn't giving the bag back, the complaint states.
The Anoka County Sheriff's Office learned of the incident last Saturday, and a sheriff's deputy called Gotsch. He admitted to authorities he stole the bag and wouldn't return it. He also told the deputy he didn't know what he was doing and couldn't be charged with theft. The deputy offered to meet Gotsch to return the bag and close the matter, but Gotsch refused.
The complaint states Gotsch eventually agreed to place the bag outside his residence, but wouldn't tell authorities where he lived. After learning the value of the bag would result in a felony charge, the deputy called Gotsch to set up a meeting, otherwise he would get a felony warrant for theft.
Authorities went to Gotsch's residence and located the hockey bag. The value of the equipment is more than $2,800.
Gotsch faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
