MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Internet goes wild over T-pain country cover. Wyoming police investigate Christmas swatting call. Isanti County homicide has apparent cartel connections. Here are the top stories from Dec. 22-28.
1. T-Pain's 'Tennessee Whiskey' cover without auto-tune has the internet going wild
T-Pain performs on stage at the Rooftop At Pier 17 on July 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Rapper, producer and singer-songwriter, T-Pain shared a performance of a "Tennessee Whiskey" cover on social media Dec. 20, and fans went wild.
The video is now available on YouTube, T-Pain said, and the song is included in an album version he released on streaming services Dec. 22. To read more about T-Pain's viral video, click here.
2. Wyoming, Minn. police investigating swatting call on Christmas
Stock image of police lights. (FOX TV Stations)
Wyoming, Minn. police say they are investigating after a 911 call on Christmas morning turned out to be a fake.
In a Facebook post, Wyoming police say they responded around 11:20 a.m. to a 911 call from a person claiming they were going to harm their mother. 911 operators heard what sounded like gunshots in the background of the call. A large police response from multiple departments showed up to an address on Pioneer Road.
When law enforcement showed up, they determined there was no trouble at the home and no one there had called 911. Police have now deemed the call a "swatting" -- which is a false 911 call intended to spark a heavy police response.
3. Isanti Co. homicide appears to have cartel connections, charges detail
File photo police tape. (FOX 9)
The slaying of a man this month near Princeton, Minn. appears to have connections to a drug cartel, criminal complaints filed last week allege.
Witnesses told investigators that, on the morning of Dec.13, three men went to a home in Spencer Brook Township, six miles southeast of Princeton. Investigators say the men were dressed as police and forcefully entered the home. A woman and child, who were in the home, hid from the gunman but heard shots fired. Later, after the suspects had left, the woman discovered the body of the victim, Jose de Jesus Diaz Fernandes.
Investigators identified four suspects in the shooting. Charges allege that one of the suspects hired the others to stage a robbery to get out of "paying a very large debt to a cartel organization."
To read more on the charges, click here.
4. Minnesota will have 9 new specialty license plate options in 2024
Courtesy of Minnesota Vikings (Supplied)
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) will have nine new special license plates in 2024, which is the most it has ever released in one year.
According to DVS, it has received numerous requests from Minnesotans for new special plates. The new special plates include designs from professional sports teams, two nonprofits, and a blackout plate.
To learn more about what license plates will be available in 2024, click here.
5. Eden Prairie dentist accused of trying to perform 30+ procedures during 1 visit: Lawsuit
File photo gavel, hammer and book (Photo by Wodicka/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
A former patient is suing an Eden Prairie dentist for "work performed negligently," including allegations that the dentist attempted to provide eight crowns, four root canals, and 20 restorations in a single visit, while also providing "anesthesia well in excess of the recommended dosage," court documents allege.
Kathleen Wilson filed the malpractice suit with Hennepin County last week, alleging the complaints against Dr. Kevin Molldrem of Molldrem Family Dentistry, P.A.
To read more about the complaint, click here.
6. Lakeville police busted porch pirate with 80+ items
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‘Porch pirate’ caught in act in St. Paul
A woman caught a porch pirate stealing a kids bike from her porch in St. Paul.
Lakeville police say they busted a porch pirate this month that targeted 30 people during the holiday season.
According to officers, on Nov. 29, they got two reports of a package thief in a Lakeville neighborhood. A suspect vehicle was reported, but no arrest was made. Until, days later, on Dec. 4, when police say the thief was active again in Lakeville.
This time, officers were able to track down the vehicle and question the suspect. According to the department, the woman admitted to stealing mail and packages. Officers say they searched the vehicle and found more than 80 items and later identified 30 victims.
7. Records set on green Christmas and Christmas Eve in the Twin Cities
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Twin Cities set Christmas record
It was a record-setting holiday weekend in the Twin Cities as Minnesotans saw another green Christmas this year.
It was a record-setting holiday weekend in the Twin Cities as Minnesotans saw another green Christmas this year.
Raindrops were falling instead of snowflakes in the metro. On both days, the metro set new record-high temps for the season. On Christmas Eve, we saw a high of 55 degrees, crushing the previous record high of 46 degrees set in 1957.
To learn more, click here.
8. I-90 in South Dakota closed due to blizzard conditions
Photos from the South Dakota DOT show drifting snow starting to impact visibility on Christmas Day. (Twitter)
Highway officials in South Dakota shut down a large portion of Interstate 90 on Dec. 25, as blizzard conditions worsened in the central part of the state.
The closure, which took effect starting at 4:30 p.m. central time, impacted all traffic along I-90 between Mitchell, South Dakota in the east and Wall, South Dakota in the west.
A blizzard warning was in effect on Christmas in South Dakota stretching across central Nebraska as well.
9. Man fatally shot in Minneapolis wanted for stealing 5 puppies worth $75K in Goodhue County
Law enforcement on the 900 block of Newton Avenue North for a fatal shooting in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
A man who was fatally shot in Minneapolis’ Near North neighborhood on Dec. 19, was charged just weeks before his death for allegedly stealing five puppies worth $75,000 and holding them for ransom.
Mikiyel Patton, 37, was shot multiple times on the 900 block of Newton Avenue North, and despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Just weeks before the shooting, Patton was charged via warrant in Goodhue County with felony theft for allegedly stealing five Platinum French Bulldog puppies, worth $15,000 each, from an acquaintance's home in Cannon Falls.
10. Man dies after ATV breaks through ice during fishing trip in Becker County
File photo of frozen lake in Minnesota. (FOX 9)
A man died after falling through ice during a fishing trip in northern Minnesota on Dec. 23.
According to the Becker County Sheriff's Office, around 2 a.m., they received a report of a man who had not returned home from fishing. The man had left his home on an ATV on Friday afternoon and headed to his fishing house on Big Toad Lake.
Authorities say just before 3:30 a.m., they found the man and his ATV, which was upside down, in about 4–5 feet of water. The man was taken to an ambulance, where he later died.