Two teenage girls reported separate car-related abduction attempts on Sept. 28 in Ramsey and Coon Rapids. Investigators used Flock Safety license-plate readers to help identify a vehicle and ultimately named 20-year-old Oliver Joseph Butcher as a suspect. He was arrested on Oct. 2 and faces charges including second-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping. The case remains under active investigation, and the suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Flock License-Plate Readers Help Police Identify Suspect in Two Separate Teen Abduction Attempts in Anoka County
Image Credit: Anoka County Sheriff's Office
The Anoka County Sheriff's Office says investigators used Flock Safety license-plate readers to help identify and locate a suspect after two teenage girls reported separate car-related abduction attempts on Sept. 28 in Ramsey and Coon Rapids.
According to the sheriff's office, the first report came in at about 2:05 p.m. in Ramsey. The teen victim told deputies a man in a vehicle tried to abduct her while she was walking near Alpine Drive and Vicuna Street. Deputies immediately began searching the area and investigating the report.
Later that evening at approximately 10:25 p.m., a second teen reported a similar encounter in Coon Rapids. She told officers a man in a vehicle chased her and sexually assaulted her near Northdale Boulevard and Marigold Street. Authorities say both incidents prompted a coordinated investigative response.
Multi-Agency Investigation and Evidence
The sheriff's office said multiple local and federal agencies assisted in the investigation, including the Minnesota State Patrol, the FBI, the Anoka-Hennepin Narcotics and Violent Crimes Task Force, the Anoka Police Department, the Blaine Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the ATF. Investigators obtained images of a vehicle believed to be involved and secured search warrants for license-plate-reader data, which the office says was instrumental in identifying the suspected vehicle.
Arrest and Charges
Following additional investigative work, officers identified the suspect as 20-year-old Oliver Joseph Butcher of Ramsey. Anoka County booking records show Butcher was arrested on Oct. 2, four days after the reported incidents. Records do not specify where or how the arrest occurred. His booking record lists charges of second-degree criminal sexual conduct under Minnesota Statute 609.343, subd. 1(a)(b) and kidnapping involving confinement or removal without consent under Minnesota Statute 609.25, subd. 1.
Minnesota law indicates the sexual-conduct charge can carry a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a $35,000 fine. The kidnapping charge can carry up to 20 years and a $35,000 fine, with higher maximum penalties under certain circumstances. The booking record lists no bail amount and does not show a court date at this time.
Ongoing Investigation and Rights
Authorities have released limited details while the investigation remains active. Agencies say they worked around the clock to locate the suspect and to prevent additional harm. As with all criminal matters, the suspect is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
What We Know—and What We Don’t
Confirmed: two reports on Sept. 28 in Ramsey and Coon Rapids, use of license-plate-reader data in the investigation, identification and arrest of a suspect on Oct. 2, and charges of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping. Unconfirmed or withheld: many investigative details, exact arrest location and additional evidence the agencies may be holding while the probe continues.
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