Man escapes custody, disappears for hours

 

ST. CROIX FALLS – A search warrant executed at a home north of St. Croix Falls led to the arrest of several people allegedly involved in a drug house for methamphetamine and other drugs.

 

According to the probable cause report filed by the Polk County Sheriff’s Department, the incident began with the drug raid on the morning of Friday, March 20, at a home on Nevers Dam Road.

 

When they swept in, they searched the residence and found wide variety of drugs and paraphernalia, including on the homeowner, Steven Bruns, 55, was discovered in a lower level restroom, apparently attempting to flush a bag of methamphetamine down the toilet.

 

Several other people were found at the residence and a variety of meth and marijuana paraphernalia and items related to distribution were also found.

 

Among the people taken into custody and later charged were Steven Bruns, as noted, as well as Jaqualyne Bruns, 30, St. Croix Falls, as well as Shannon Tretsven, 49, Dresser. All three were taken into custody and charged with a variety of drug-related charges.

 

When the officers were able to secure the scene, it turned out that one of the people under arrest, and the owner of the home in question, Steven Bruns, had escaped into the woods on foot, while he was shackled in a two pairs of handcuffs.

 

Somehow, Bruns had managed to escape from the rear of a St. Croix Falls squad car, and while he was still shacked, he somehow was able to escape into the woods of the Barrens, only to be found approximately six hours later, after the PCSD used a canine officer and other action to track him down.

 

Bruns is facing multiple felony charges, including escape, meth possession, marijuana possession - with intent to deliver, maintaining a drug trafficking place, all as a party to a crime and misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal damage to property.

 

He was being held on a $5,000 cash bond, with an April 1 preliminary hearing set before a judge, where he will decide if there is enough evidence to bind him over for trial.

 

Jaqualyne Bruns was charged with felony marijuana possession, as a second or greater offense, as well as misdemeanor paraphernalia possession.