Minnesota State senator, Nicole Mitchell who was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary said she was just trying to retrieve her father’s ashes from a relative with dementia.
Senator Nicole was arrested early Monday morning after being found inside a home in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, about 200 miles northwest of Minneapolis and the suburban district she represents.
In a Facebook post Tuesday afternoon, Mitchell said she was visiting a family member with Alzheimer’s after learning medical information that prompted her to check on them.
“Over the weekend, I learned of medical information which caused me grave concern and prompted me to check on that family member. I entered a home I have come and gone from countless times in the past 20 years, where my son even once had his own room,” Mitchell wrote.
“Unfortunately, I startled this close relative, exacerbating paranoia, and I was accused of stealing, which I absolutely deny.”
“This has been a true tragedy for our family and my hope is it can return to being a private matter,” she added.
She was booked at Becker County Jail on Monday and the attorney’s office charged her with first-degree burglary, Detroit Lakes Police Chief Steve Todd said.
Mitchell, who has been serving her first term since elected in 2022, is facing calls to resign from opponents because of the incident.
Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus Chair Bryan Strawser said in a press release that if she does not resign then the state senate must expel her from the body.
