Willmar man charged with burglary and fleeing officers Thursday morning

A Willmar man was charged with burglary and fleeing officers Thursday morning.

On April 9, at about 7:51 a.m., a resident of New London called the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office to report his vehicle had been broken into. The victim was able to describe the suspect, and the suspect’s vehicle.

A short time later, a Minnesota State trooper found the suspect, Jered Haugen, age 39, of Willmar, on County Road 5, a few miles north of Willmar. The trooper a traffic stop, but Haugen fled in his vehicle toward Willmar, but law enforcement ended the pursuit.

Shortly afterward, Haugen was found at a residence on the 800 block of SW 7th Street NW. Haugen surrendered after a short standoff, and was taken into custody. He is currently being held at the Kandiyohi County Jail on charges of first degree burglary, theft, and fleeing in a motor vehicle.

After further investigation, search warrants were issued for two separate locations in Willmar, where officers turned up numerous stolen items.

The case is still under investigation, and additional charges are expected.

The Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office, The Willmar Police Department, MN State Patrol and The CEE-VI Drug and Gang Task Force all assisted with the case.