Man strapped his GPS monitor on a dummy before escaping sex offender treatment center: Police

A antheral confined to a Minnesota attraction halfway for convicted sex offenders was apprehended by constabulary aft helium escaped by strapping his GPS monitoring device to a dummy.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by section Fox affiliate KMSP, Steven Loren Edwards, 53, was reported missing connected Saturday. The documents stated that Edwards’ roommate told the facility’s unit astatine astir 7 p.m. connected Saturday that Edwards — who had archetypal been committed to the St. Peter Treatment Center for the Minnesota Sex Offender Treatment Program successful October 2011 — had been successful furniture each day, showing nary signs of question for “quite immoderate time.”

When the unit pulled the bed’s broad back, they recovered a dummy wearing the GPS ankle bracelet assigned to Edwards.

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According to tribunal documents, unit observed Edwards allegedly leaving the installation connected surveillance camera footage soon earlier 7 p.m. connected Friday.

As constabulary began to fig retired Edwards’ whereabouts, tribunal documents stated that they recovered retired the alleged escapee had placed a telephone telephone to his lad pursuing his exit from the facility. The documents stated that helium utilized a telephone that was associated with an unnamed antheral who was utilizing a adjacent laundromat connected Friday night.

The antheral reportedly told constabulary that helium witnessed Edwards participate the laundromat and told him that helium had been kicked retired of the location and needed a thrust to Albert Lea, Minnesota. The antheral told constabulary that helium agreed to thrust Edwards to wherever helium needed to go, and the brace reportedly took a detour to a casino successful Iowa.

After their purported casino trip, the antheral drove Edwards to a edifice successful Albert Lea and rented the alleged escapee a country for the night. The antheral past went backmost to St. Peter.

Police learned that Edwards purchased a car successful Albert Lea, which was aboriginal spotted successful Missouri connected Sunday. Knowing that Edwards’ parent lives successful Webb City, Missouri, KMSP reported that constabulary thought to behaviour a payment cheque connected her astatine her home.

There, they recovered — and arrested — Edwards, who was charged with 2 counts of felony escape.