Hudson Police Blotter: Suspicious Van Has Community on Guard

Suspicious activity:  is warning community members to be on the lookout for a blue 1991 Ford panel van with the Minnesota license plate 889-ETE. The van was part of a suspicious activity report in on Sept. 7. According to Hudson Police Chief Marty Jensen, a white man and a white woman, both approximately in their 50s or 60s, were in the van acting strangely that day, but were gone before police arrived. Jensen said they have received a lot of calls about the incident. He would like members of the community to be on the alert and contact the police department if they see the van. 

The sent the following message to parents on Wednesday:

"The Hudson School District received information from the Hudson Police Department regarding the suspicious activity of a white male in his late 50's who may be with a white female in an older blue Ford panel van with MN license plates. The two have been seen in area parks and have raised the concern of some residents. As always, law enforcement would like you to call if you are concerned about any suspicious activity. You may also want to take time to discuss personal safety with your student as a standard precaution. Information regarding student safety is available on the district website under the Parent/Student tab at the top of the page: click on Keeping Children Safe from Strangers."

Suspicious activity: A Hudson Police officer responded to a suspicious activity complaint at at about 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10. Dispatch told the officer that a car had an extension cord plugged into the coffee shop building and was stealing power. The coffee shop manager told the officer that the man lives in the car and regularly comes into the store to beg for money. Customers and employees had complained and she didn't want the man in the shop anymore. The officer informed the man that he was no longer welcome there and if he came back or stole power again, he could be charged with theft or trespassing.

Theft: A woman called police at about 8:05 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 12, to report that her son's bicycle had been stolen from a bike rack at Hudson High School. The boy rode the bike to school in the morning and left it unlocked in a bike rack at the school at about 7:15 a.m. After school, he attended a driver's ed class and then walked home. When the boy returned to retrieve his bike at about 8 p.m., it was missing. 

Theft: A employee called police at about 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 13, to report the theft of a license plate from one of the company's delivery trucks. He said the theft occurred between 5 p.m. on Monday and 7 a.m. on Tuesday.