Teen pleads not guilty to driving truck through rural properties
Published 2:10 pm Saturday, January 2, 2010
A Hayfield teenager pleaded not guilty to two felony property damage charges Thursday for allegedly driving a truck through a number of rural properties in September.
Jon Dale Crews, 18, is now scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on March 12 and a jury trial March 22 in the case.
According to a criminal complaint, two Mower County property owners reported damage on Sept. 27, as did several others in Dodge and Olmsted counties.
At 32825 690th Ave. in Dexter, Paul Ulwelling, 70, reported that a vehicle had driven through his electric fence — causing some cattle to go free — and smashed into a shed, causing about $400 in damage.
In addition to the shed, he said the car caused about $850 in damage to other items on his property.
The loose cattle were retrieved.
Nathan Thompson, 48, of 29454 670th Ave., said the vehicle smashed two gates and ran through a sheep pasture.
No animals were hit, but Thompson did report about $800 in damage to the gates, as well as an additional $200 in damage to other objects.
Afterward, a Mower County detective spoke with a Dodge County detective, who indicated that some Hayfield High School students who were partying before the incidents had talked about driving through yards.
The Dodge County detective interviewed the students, who implicated Crews in the several crimes, the complaint states.
Crews admitted to authorities that he drives a Ford Explorer, which was the vehicle responsible for the incidents.