Man Kidnaps Woman, Takes Own Life In Cottage Grove: Cops

COTTAGE GROVE, MN — Authorities are investigating after a kidnapping in the east Twin Cities metro ended with a man taking his own life. Investigators say Noah Ante Erickson, 34, of White Bear Lake kidnapped a woman at gunpoint from the parking lot of her Maplewood workplace around 6 a.m. on Monday, forcing her to drive them to her St. Paul home.

Erickson tied up the woman and her roommate, well as assaulting the roommate, police said. He then left the home in the roommate's car.

Police said Erickson abandoned the car in the Hidden Valley Neighborhood of Cottage Grove before carjacking a second vehicle at gunpoint from a man around 8:30 a.m.

Investigators say Erickson ditched the second car a few blocks away on Hidden Valley Trail South and fled on foot, entering a home on the 7400 block of Hidden Valley Court South while armed with a handgun. Two adults and two children were in the home.

Erickson stole a pickup truck from the garage and drove away, police said.

Police searching for Erickson converged on the neighborhood. Authorities said as Erickson fled in the pickup, he drove around police barricades, across yards and eventually crashed into a tree several houses away.

After crashing the pickup, Erickson left the car and exchanged gunfire with police before turning the gun on himself, police said. He died at the scene, according to a news release.

The Maplewood and St. Paul police departments are investigating the kidnapping and assault.