Gate Crasher!

This is a picture of the security gate at the Evening Star Nature Reserve after the driver of a Ford Ranger pickup truck decided to enter the premises even though the security gate was closed and locked.

According to papers filed in the Pine County court, on February 4, at about 10 p.m. the truck was heading westerly along highway 48 pursued by State Trooper Matt Heaton who had observed itʼs erratic driving. In trying to elude the patrol car, the truck turned into our driveway and crashed into the embankment and security gate and got hung up in the gate.

The driver, Ronald Jerome Plumley, fled into our property on foot pursued by Trooper Heaton and his ride-a-long, Officer Dean Huhta. After a considerable struggle, Plumley was subdued and arrested in our front yard. It turned out that the pickup truck had been stolen in Chisago County, and a police duty bag was found in it that had been stolen from a police car. Plumleyʼs record showed that he had been busy over the past 20 or so years with convictions for third degree burglary, theft, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, robbery, second degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, possession of a firearm by an ineligible person, attempted first degree burglary, aiding and betting possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, receiving stolen property, and theft of a motor vehicle. This impressive list of past accomplishments now seems likely to be expanded.

None of us was at the cabin when all this happened, although we had been there a few hours earlier. Another busy and exciting day at the Nature Reserve. One just never knows who might drop in.