In the morning on November 5, 2025, Detective Hullopeter from the Mankato Department of Public Safety received a call from Blue Earth County Child Protection regarding a child [NAME REDACTED]. Adam Gardner Tillson [DOB REDACTED] was identified as a suspect of child abuse. Detective Hullopeter and a Child Protection worker (“Witness 1”), went to School 1 to speak with Victim 1, who is ten years old. Victim 1 told Hullopeter and Witness 1 that Tillson hit Victim 1 with an open hand on Monday, November 3, 2025, while Victim 1 was feeding Victim 1’s cats and taking Victim 1’s vitamins and Tillson and Victim 1 were the only people at Victim 1’s home in the City of Mankato.
Afterwards, Tillson told Victim 1 to go to Victim 1’s room where Tillson hit Victim 1 again. Tillson then told Victim 1 to take a shower. Victim 1 pointed to Victim 1’s right cheek and the side of Victim 1’s head to show where Tillson hit Victim 1. Victim 1 said Tillson accused Victim 1 of not answering Tillson when Tillson called for Victim 1. Detective Hullopeter could see a purple bruise on Victim 1’s right cheek and what appeared to be petechiae near Victim 1’s cheek bone. Hullopeter also observed purple marks on the backside of Victim 1’s right ear.
Victim 1 said Victim 1’s ear hurt when people touch it. Victim 1 said Victim 1 was scared about Tillson being in Victim 1’s home. Victim 1 noted Tillson had been living at Victim 1’s house for a while after a fire at Tillson’s home. Victim 1’s mother said Tillson had been living in their home for the past month. Hullopeter spoke with Witness 2, who has been a nurse for 12 years. Witness 2 told Hullopeter Witness 2 saw Victim 1 the prior day and Victim 1 complained of pain on the side of Victim 1’s head.
Witness 2 observed bruising on Victim 1’s cheek, the helix of Victim 1’s ear, and the backside of Victim 1’s ear. Witness 2 said, “it’s hard to bruise an ear.” Victim 1 also had speckled bruising behind Victim 1’s ear. Witness 2 thought the bruise on Victim 1’s cheek looked like it was caused by the palm of a hand, and Victim 1 told Witness 2 Victim 1 was hit with a hand. Witness 3 is a case manager for Victim 1. On November 4, 2025, Victim 1 told Witness 3 Victim 1 had a tough weekend and got hit.
Witness 3 noticed a bruise on Victim 1’s cheek. Victim 1 told Witness 3, “Adam [Tillson] hit me.” Tillson told Victim 1 not to tell anyone. Victim 1 explained to Witness 3 that Tillson told Victim 1 Tillson had called Victim 1’s name, but Victim 1 did not hear Tillson calling Victim 1. Tillson then hit Victim 1 on the side of Victim 1’s face and head, Victim 1 told Witness 3. After Tillson hit Victim 1, Tillson told Victim 1 to take a shower and Victim 1 cried in the shower. Witness 3 saw bruises on the back of Victim 1’s ear.
Victim 1’s mother told Detective Hullopeter that Tillson and Victim 1 were the only people in the home on the date of the alleged incident while Victim 1’s mother was at work. Witness 4 is a mental health skills worker for Victim 1. Witness 4 told Hullopeter Witness 4 picked up Victim 1 from Victim 1’s home in the afternoon on Monday, November 3, 2025. Witness 4 could tell Victim 1’s eyes were swollen and they looked like Victim 1 had been crying. During the first couple minutes they were together, Victim 1 told Witness 4 Victim 1’s head hurt and Tillson hit Victim in the head with Tillson’s hand because Victim 1 was not listening to Tillson.
