Vadnais Heights woman found guilty in Redwood County Court for violating order for protection

A Redwood County District Court jury found Samantha Taylor Pitkin, 24, of Vadnais Heights guilty of one count of misdemeanor Violation of an Order for Protection, County  Attorney Jenna Peterson announced Monday. 

According to the criminal complaint, testimony and evidence presented at trial, on Sept. 24, 2020, the Lower Sioux Tribal Police Department was called to a residence in the Lower Sioux Indian Community on a report of a violation of an Order for Protection.  

The victim had been granted an Order for Protection against Pitkin on July 25, 2020. The order prevented Pitkin from being within 500 feet of the victim’s residence. The victim stated Pitkin had just been sitting in a white vehicle at the end of the victim’s driveway waving her arms with a male who approached the victim’s residence and dropped off a letter.

The victim stated she could hear screaming  from outside the residence. Also, the victim photographed Pitkin parked at the end of her driveway. Minutes after the report, officers located Pitkin driving a white vehicle in the parking  lot of the Lower Sioux Community Center. Pitkin admitted to officers she had been at victim’s residence, and admitted to knowing of the Order for Protection.  

Tom Borgen, Assistant Redwood County Attorney, told the jury, “…the photograph taken by Victim and the body camera video showed  Defendant and the vehicle she was driving where within 500 feet of Victim’s residence.” 

The jury deliberated for approximately 20 minutes on Friday, April 22nd, before delivering the guilty verdict around 2:30 p.m.  Pitkin will be sentenced May 23rd at the Redwood County Courthouse.