Oakdale Police Blotter: Copper Theft Weakens Radio Station Signal

The strength of an AM radio station went from 50,000 watts to 5,000 after someone stole two 3-foot sections from its radio tower in the 2700 block of Geneva Avenue July 6, according to an Oakdale Police Department report.

The tower powers the KTIS AM 900 station, according to the report. The tower is behind a fence, and the copper went from the tower into a small building in which the radio transformer is located, the report says.

The following incidents were also reported to Oakdale police July 5-7:

July 5:

• An Oakdale woman reported that someone fraudulently used her credit card number to make a $50 purchase. It is unknown how the number was obtained.
• On July 1, between 5:50 and 6:10 p.m. an Oakdale woman’s credit cards were used without authorization seven times for a total of $3,011 in charges. The woman’s purse had been stolen in Woodbury that same day.
• Someone smashed out the back window of a vehicle parked in the 6400 block of Upper 48^th Street between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. causing $300 damage.
• A resident in the 7300 block of 51^st Street reported that between 8:30 p.m. on July 4 and 2 p.m. July 5 someone stole $180 worth of solar powered multi-colored yard lights.

July 6:

• A complainant reported that a Ridley X-Night racing bicycle that was stolen off of a FedEx truck last December showed up in a Craigslist.org ad. The bike is worth $8,000. It is unknown where the bike was stolen during shipping from Oregon to Minnesota.
• An Oakdale woman reported that her cousin stole her SuperAmerica rewards card, printed a voucher for $50 and redeemed it in the form of a store gift card.
• An Oakdale woman reported that someone stole her prescription D-Amphetamine Salt Combo in three separate bottles from her apartment in the 6000 block of 40^th Street.
• An 18-year-old Roseville man sustained minor injuries in a motorcycle crash in the 1500 block of Interstate 694. The man did not want to be taken to the hospital.
• Police responded to on a report that a dog had been left inside of a vehicle. When police got there, the dog’s owner was inside of the vehicle with the animal. Police warned him about the dangers of leaving a dog in a car.

July 7:

• A driver pumped $67 worth of gas at the at 10^th Street and Helmo Avenue and drove off without paying for it.
• A 30-year-old Brooklyn Center woman reported that her boyfriend’s wife grabbed her by the hair and punched her in the head at a residence in the 3800 block of Granada Way. The parties in the home refused to answer the door when officers showed up there. The complainant had no visible injuries and was intoxicated.
• An Aikin, MN, man reported that around 11:30 p.m. on July 3 while he was driving on Interstate 694 something either fell or was thrown off the 15^th Street bridge that shattered his windshield. He didn’t see anybody in the area or on the bridge. The property damage estimate is $200.
• A 24-year-old driver hit a 75-year-old man on a bicycle while making a right turn from Helena Avenue onto 10^th Street. The man had cuts on his head, arm and leg and was transported to Woodwinds Hospital. The vehicle had minor front-end damage.
• Three boys were cited for assaulting another boy at a sleepover in the 7400 block of 44^th Street. Two of the boys allegedly held down the victim while the other boy gave him “Chinese torture” leaving a bruise on his chest. He was also punched in the arm, leaving a bruise. 
• The Oakdale Police Department assisted the North St. Paul Police Department in forming a perimeter to catch a suspect after a report of an armed robbery at the Subway restaurant at 2231 11^th Ave. E.

The above items are taken from the . In all incidents where an arrest occurred, a charge is merely an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. The arrested person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Incidents are listed in the order in which they were reported, not necessarily the order in which they occurred.