Man Stole Excavator, Drunkenly Demolished Minnesota Businesses: Police

BECKER COUNTY, MN — A Phoenix man faces a felony charge after prosecutors say he drunkenly commandeered a construction excavator in Becker County and went on a path of destruction through a Detroit Lakes lakeside business district, causing at least $40,000 in damage.

Alex Prescott-Hansen, 30, was charged June 22 in Becker County District Court with first-degree felony damage to property and misdemeanor DWI.

The felony damage charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison or a $10,000 fine, or both.

According to the criminal complaint, officers responded on June 21 to a report of property damage in the area of 102 West Lake Drive.

A Becker County Sheriff's deputy found an excavator that had been driven from in front of Lakeside restaurant through multiple nearby businesses.

The excavator knocked down a new light pole, caused significant damage to the concrete sidewalk, damaged an outside handrail system at HUB 41 and destroyed a sailboat sculpture at that business, the complaint states. The machine then drove to the Fairfield hotel entrance, tearing off or breaking numerous boards and panels on the awning.

The complaint says the damage at HUB 41 alone would cost $40,000 to repair.

Prescott-Hansen told officers he had attended a party at Zorbaz earlier in the day. Officer Johnston of Detroit Lakes PD noted Prescott-Hansen had glossy, bloodshot, watery eyes and slurred speech, the complaint says.

Prescott-Hansen consented to a preliminary breath test and blew a .175 BAC; a subsequent DataMaster test returned a .18 BAC, police said.

Prescott-Hansen admitted to attempting to drive the excavator, and later at the jail essentially admitted to destroying things with it, the complaint states.

A hotel manager identified him as the excavator operator, though Prescott-Hansen had initially given the manager a false name.