Court proceedings for the four people who were arrested on February 8, 2015 after allegedly participating in the kidnapping of a Grand Marais woman and her 5-year-old child continue with guilty pleas and sentencing for some of the suspects.
Michael Chilstrom, 39, of Coon Rapids, Minnesota entered a guilty plea on August 7 to burglary in the first degree and two counts of false imprisonment. Two charges of kidnapping were dismissed. Chilstrom was convicted of the other charges and appeared before Judge Michael Cuzzo in Cook County court for sentencing on August 24.
Chilstrom was sentenced to committal at the Minnesota Correctional Facility at St. Cloud for 12 months and to local confinement for 198 days. He received credit for time served of 198 days. The prison sentence was stayed for five years, provided Chilstrom meets conditions such as completing chemical assessment; undergoing psychological evaluation/ treatment; registering as a predatory offender; having no contact with victim (s); having no use or possession of alcohol or controlled substance; and maintaining employment. Chilstrom was also ordered to pay a fine and fees of $240.
Another defendant, Jason Lowry, 44, of Blaine, Minnesota, was charged with two counts of kidnapping; two counts of felony imprisonment and one count each of first-degree burglary and making threats of violence (terroristic threats). Lowry entered a guilty plea on August 24 to two counts of felony false imprisonment, one count each of first-degree burglary, and making threats terroristic threats.
A jury trial scheduled for August 31 was cancelled and Lowry was released to an Anoka County felony warrant to deal with other pending charges. Lowry has a record of many other felony and non-felony level convictions, which are drug-related and crimes of violence.
He is to return to Cook County when those cases are resolved. Sentencing for Lowry was scheduled for October 27, 2015.
Kidnapping charges for another defendant, Chris Michael Paripovich, 49, of Wayzata, Minnesota were dismissed on June 25. Paripovich entered a guilty plea for possession of a controlled substance 5th degree on July 28. His sentencing hearing was held August 25. He was sentenced to 145 days confinement with credit for 145 days served and five years of probation. He must also pay fines and fees totaling $140.
A fourth person involved in the incident, Terrie Tornio, 43, of Forest Lake, Minnesota, also faces charges of kidnapping and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance charges. A trial date for Tornio has been set for January 4-8, 2016.
The charges stem from arrests after Cook County Sheriff ’s Office deputies responded to an emergency call on February 8, 2015. According to the criminal complaints, two deputies were on the way to the scene of the call when they met a man who told the deputies that his girlfriend and child were “being held captive by some guy.”
The man said he owed money to some people and that he had received a phone call from one of them— from his residence. He said he was instructed to meet a woman and man in a blue Impala at the bank to pay what he owed before his girlfriend and child would be released. The man told deputies that he was told he had better pay, or duct tape and zip ties would be used and it “could be a bloody mess.”
The deputies, along with Minnesota state troopers, went to the house and found the woman and child inside with defendant Lowry. According to the criminal complaint, Lowry told deputies that he was “helping a friend of a friend” collect money owed to a person later alleged to be Tornio.
According to the complaint, the female victim said that earlier that day, she saw two men walk up her driveway and then heard a loud knock on the door. When she started to open the door, the men pushed their way into the house. She said both men were dressed all in black and wore ski masks. One of the men, later identified as Lowry, took the woman’s phone and used it to call the male victim. Lowry allegedly backed the woman into a corner of the kitchen and told her that they needed to get paid while the other male stood by the doorway. The woman said after about 15 minutes, the second man left and Lowry paced around the house, still wearing the face mask. The woman said her child was terrified and crying.
At about 4 p.m., a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer stopped a blue Impala traveling west on Highway 61 at mile marker 101. Sheriff deputies responded to the vehicle stop to find Chilstrom, Paripovich and Tornio in the car. Deputies noted that Chilstrom was dressed all in black. According to the criminal complaint, he told one of the deputies that he was “just along for the ride.”
Drug paraphernalia, baggies with drug residue, a baggie with approximately .5 grams of a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, a digital scale and a meth pipe were found in possession of the occupants of the car.
Also found was a black face mask.
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