On February 15, 2026, at approximately 6:56 A.M., deputies with the Stearns County Sheriff's Office and officers with the Sauk Centre Police Department were dispatched to a residence located on the 38000 block of County Road 185 in the Township of Sauk Centre, County of Stearns, State of Minnesota. W. A. W. (an adult male fully identified in the police reports) called law enforcement to report that a light-colored Buick sedan was at Victim A's property and the vehicle did not belong there. W. A. W. Lived across the road from Victim A's property.
Law enforcement was aware of a burglary that occurred at the large vehicle shed on Victim A's property two days prior and that an unknown individual was recorded by a surveillance camera at the property the day before. Sauk Centre Police Officer Preston Oetterer first responded to Victim A's property and located JIMMY RAY ISSAC ANSIEL, [DOB REDACTED], the defendant herein, and MITCHELL KELLY PETTIT, [DOB REDACTED], the co-defendant herein, at Victim A's property. The defendant and co-defendant told Officer Oetterer that their vehicle was overheating, and they pulled into Victim A's property to fix it.
Officer Oetterer found the Buick unoccupied and parked in front of Victim A's shed. The officer observed the defendant and co-defendant walking away from Victim A's shed after the officer arrived on the scene. A deputy later looked inside the vehicle and observed a suspected methamphetamine pipe and numerous tools. Officer Oetterer took the co-defendant into custody and located two wrenches and a chisel in the right zipper pocket of the co-defendant's pants. Deputy Brittany Hegg arrived at the scene and met with Victim A. Victim A pointed out a headlamp that did not belong to him which was on the ground next to the Buick.
The deputy and Victim A went to the shed. Victim A stated that a wood pole that secured plywood at the entrance to the shed had been moved. Victim A and Deputy Hegg went into the shed. Victim A stated that a small green toolbox near the door was open and it had not been open the day before. They also observed a cigarette butt inside the shed that was similar to one located outside the shed. Victim A stated that he did not smoke and did not know where the butts came from. Victim A also observed a black metal tractor axel part that had been moved near the door of the shed.
Victim A also stated that he had set up a trail camera in the shed after the first break-in. Victim A noted that the camera was missing. The trail camera was later found in the snow near the Buick outside of the shed. Deputies retrieved the SD card from the camera and reviewed the video footage. The images from the camera showed the defendant and co-defendant inside of the shed. Officers saw fresh tracks in the snow near a different shed which was northwest of the main shed. Deputy Hegg and Victim A went to the nearby shed.
