John Jorgenson, 25 of rural Sargeant, faces charges of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree after the alleged rape of a woman.

Tuesday, May 16, 2000

John Jorgenson, 25 of rural Sargeant, faces charges of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree after the alleged rape of a woman.

According to Mower County Sheriff Barry J. Simonson, Jorgenson was seen giving the victim, a 24 year old Dodge Center woman, a ride home from Grump’s Restaurant and Bar at Grand Meadow early Sunday morning by eyewitnesses.

The victim was last seen getting into Jorgenson’s car.

When friends of the victim went to Jorgenson’s rural Sargeant house, they suspected something was wrong. Later Sunday morning, when the same friends called the Jorgenson residence, he told them the woman was in his house.

The Mower County Sheriff’s Department was called and when deputies went to the rural Sargeant home, they discovered the woman.

A search warrant was obtained to seize pillow cases and sheets at the residence as evidence.

Sheriff Simonson said the evidence and deputies reports will be turned over to the Mower County Attorney for review.

Man alleges assault

Marco Lopez, 43 of Austin, reported he was assaulted in the parking lot of Kwik Trip, 1201 West Oakland Ave.

The assault allegedly took place at 1:23 a.m. today, according to the victim’s report to the Austin Police Department.

He was walking from the convenience store, when a male standing next to a red Chevrolet Corsica car yelled at him.

Lopez walked away, but when the male continued to yell insults he returned.

The man yelling the insults remained in the car, but three other white males exited and attacked Lopez.

He suffered bruises to his head and ribs and the car containing the four males left the scene of the assault.

Hit and run reported

Rhonda Kjarland, 27 of Austin, was driving a vehicle that was struck in traffic near 8:50 p.m. Monday.

Kjarland was westbound on West Oakland Avenue when an auto bolted from the 5th Street intersection and collided with the victim’s vehicle.

Both vehicles drove to the parking lot at Godfather’s Pizza Restaurant. However the driver and a male passenger of the other vehicle walked away from the scene.

Kjarland was uninjured, according to the Austin Police Department report.

More pigs located

Harold Higgins, 506 South Main Street, reported finding concrete pigs on his front lawn.

It was the second instance of the appearance of concrete pigs.

According to an Austin Police Department report, Higgins noticed the additional pigs Monday near 4:30 p.m. and called police.

Two weeks ago, he also reported the appearance of two concrete pigs on his front lawn.

The latest appearance brings the total to four.

The pigs are much smaller in size than the 400 pound concrete sculpted pigs being used for the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce’s "Pigs in the City" promotion.

One of those pigs remains at large after being stolen a week ago.

Burglary investigated

Johnson Floral was the victim of a burglary early Monday morning.

Austin Police Department officers were called to the scene at 3:47 a.m. Monday, when an alarm sounded.

Details of the burglary were not available at press-time.