Child Trapped by Escalator at Ridgedale, Freed Without Serious Injury

Minnetonka Fire Department:

• Between June 17-23, duty crew responded to a , an injury crash, two vehicles that collided with power poles, a natural gas leak, an electrical problem, 12 medicals, four lift assists and four false alarms. No callbacks of on-call firefighters were initiated.

• On the afternoon of June 19, the fire department duty crew, chief officers, police, and North EMS responded to a child trapped by an escalator at a store in . Arriving units found a small child was up to his elbow in the handrail return. The escalator was taken apart, and the child freed in about 20 minutes. The child appeared to have no serious injuries. 

• On the afternoon of June 16, the fire department duty crew, chief officers, police, and Hennepin County Medical Center EMS responded to an injury crash on Baker Road, just south of Highway 7. The vehicle sheared off a power pole and live power lines subsequently landed on top the vehicle. After determining the driver had only minor injuries, the area was isolated until Xcel Energy arrived to secure the power. Baker Road was closed for about 90 minutes, and the resulting power outage affected a large part of the center of the city for about three hours.

Minnetonka Police Department:

• Between June 17-23, Minnetonka police officers responded to 518 calls for service, initiated 376 traffic stops, made 50 arrests and issued 158 traffic citations for various traffic violations.

• On June 23, police department staff participated in the Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit the Special Olympics. Approximately 25 employees walked and ran a seven-mile course starting on our northern border with Plymouth and ending on the southern border at Eden Prairie. Following the run/walk, employees gathered at Lone Lake Park for a lunch provided by the police association. For the seventh consecutive year, Detective Andy Gardner organized the event with the help of his wife Mary Jo.

• In January 2011, a woman reported that several of her credit cards had been stolen and used illegally at several locations in Minnetonka. The amount that had been charged to her cards totaled just over $1,000. Detectives obtained video surveillance of a female suspect and posted it on a law enforcement intelligence site. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office responded to the posting with a name of the female suspect. Based on the surveillance video and the information provided by Ramsey County, the female suspect was charged June 14 with one felony count of Financial Transaction Card Fraud.

• In January 2011, police detectives initiated an investigation regarding an employee who was suspected of stealing funds from her employer. After the store noticed cash shortages, the employers reviewed surveillance videos. They observed an employee closing out cash registers but could find no corresponding records that the cash was turned in or deposited. In a voluntary statement, the suspect admitted to taking a total of $3,367.65 from the store without permission. On June 3, the suspect was charged with one felony count of Theft over $1,000.

*All information from the city of Minnetonka’s Public Safety Update, which is distributed weekly to the Minnetonka City Council.