DFL senator arrested in Detroit Lakes for suspected burglary

Co-chairs of the omnibus veterans and military affairs finance bill conference committee, Sen. Nicole Mitchell and Rep. Jerry Newton, listen to a public testifier May 1, 2023. Photo by Catherine Davis/Minnesota House Public Information Services.

State Sen. Nicole Mitchell, DFL-Woodbury, was arrested Monday morning in Detroit Lakes and booked into the Becker County Jail for suspected first-degree burglary.

Detroit Lakes Police Chief Steve Todd said at 4:45 a.m. on Monday, a 911 dispatcher received a call from a homeowner on Granger Road who reported that there was a burglar inside their home. 

Todd said officers arrested the woman inside the home and she was identified as Mitchell. Mitchell, 49, was booked into Becker County Jail and was still listed on the jail’s roster early Monday afternoon. 

Mitchell was elected to the Senate in 2022 and is in her first term. She’s vice chair of the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Committee. Mitchell is a former TV meteorologist for KSTP and Minnesota Public Radio. She’s also a commander in the Air National Guard’s 126th Weather Flight.

Mitchell’s arrest was first reported by KVRR-TV, a local station based in Fargo, North Dakota.

Marc Kimball, spokesperson for the Senate DFL, in a statement declined to comment on Mitchell’s arrest.

“The Senate DFL Caucus is aware of the situation and has no comment pending further information,” Kimball said.

The widow of Mitchell’s late father resides in the house that Mitchell was arrested in, according to a Senate DFL source who was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record.

The Legislature is currently on recess for Passover until Wednesday.

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