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Suspect intentionally drove SUV into Cold Spring home, police say
Police say a man intentionally drove an SUV into a family's home in Cold Spring, Minnesota.
COLD SPRING, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man has been found guilty of both stalking and assault after he sent an SUV, with a piece of granite on the accelerator, into a Cold Spring home – an act the homeowners called an instance of ongoing harassment.
A Stearns County jury on Monday found Benton Beyer guilty of one count of stalking and two counts of second-degree assault for his role in harassing a family who says they had not met him before the incidents began.
In July 2021, police arrested Beyer after he drove a stolen SUV into their home – a teddy bear hanging from a noose was found in the car.
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Prosecutors believe Cold Spring crash may have been racially motivated
New court documents say a man's actions may have been racially motivated when he rammed an SUV into a home in Cold Spring, Minnesota.
Previous problems
Before the incident, FOX 9 spoke with the Robinsons when they were dealing with racist online attacks toward the couple’s teenage daughter, with the family saying Beyer had been harassing them for weeks.
Around the same time, Beyer started harassing the family by driving back and forth in front of their home, stalking them and more, according to the family.
In a span of two months, the Robinsons made 18 calls to police because of Beyer. A harassment restraining order was issued on May 21, 2021. On July 15, 2021, he was arrested after he allegedly stalked Andrea Robinson.
Beyer then allegedly stole a car, put a large piece of granite on the accelerator to drive it into their home, and ran away. The incident happened at 5:30 a.m. while the Robinsons were sleeping.
"I was amazed and kinda in shock," Anthony T. Robinson, who was home at the time, told FOX 9.
Police eventually found Beyer several hours later and arrested him.
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Mom calls for change after daughter bombarded with racist Snapchats
It’s the kind of language that startles and stuns most people. Racist to say the least with the n-word and phrases like "I will beat the Black right out of you" and "Get the ropes ready."