The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office reports that on 06-19-2017 at approximately 11:46 pm, their office received a call of a suspicious vehicle which deputies located at the Pow Wow Grounds, west of Royalton on Nature Road. While deputies were investigating this matter, the male suspect fled in the vehicle and led them on a pursuit ending near the city of Rice, in Benton County. Deputies were able to determine that the license plate on the vehicle involved had been altered with black tape and was found to be stolen out of St Cloud.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, 36-year-old Matthew Bellanger of St Cloud, MN was arrested and is being held in Morrison County Jail pending formal charges.
Morrison County Sheriff Shawn Larsen wants residents to continue to call in any suspicious activity. In this particular case, the Sheriff’s Office was able to arrest a suspect who had multiple warrants and was in possession of a stolen vehicle.
The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the MN State Patrol, Benton County Sheriff’s Office and Rice Police Department.