Mankato Man Charged After Child Exposed to Meth, Thefts

A Mankato man is accused of stealing landscaping materials from a local business, then leaving methamphetamine within reach of a 1-year-old child at his home, according to charges.

Travis John Olson, 41, faces five charges. Three are felonies: third-degree possession of methamphetamine in a school, park or public housing zone, fifth-degree drug possession and causing or permitting a child to be exposed to methamphetamine. He is also charged with misdemeanor theft and misdemeanor receiving stolen property.

According to the complaint, a witness who works at a business in Blue Earth County contacted law enforcement on the morning of September 21, 2026, to report that rock and lumber had been stolen from the business. The witness said there was video of the theft and identified Olson, who rents from the business, as the suspect. The business had earlier asked police to patrol the property after seeing Olson casing it.

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The thefts occurred at 3:39 a.m. on September 20, 2026, when lumber was taken and at 4:54 a.m. on September 14, 2026, when landscaping rocks were stolen. The witness reported that several large rocks and 11 4x4 posts were missing.

Officers obtained a search warrant for Olson’s residence, garage and vehicle. When police executed the warrant at about 1:49 p.m. on September 21, they found Olson and a 1-year-old child in the living room. Officers detained Olson and saw a baggie containing a crystal-like substance on the kitchen table, which tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 2.07 grams. The table was low enough for a small child to access, and a chair was nearby.

In the garage, officers found more methamphetamine along with Percocet, Vyvanse, psilocybin mushrooms, Adderall, Tylenol with Codeine, Klonopin and Xanax. Police also discovered a glass pipe in the kitchen that tested positive for methamphetamine.

Officers also found items in the garage that had been reported stolen from a second business, including a concrete saw, a generator, power tools and copper wiring. The complaint says those items are part of a separate police report. Police also took four City of Mankato street signs. Two 4x4 posts matching the description of the stolen property were found in the backyard.

Olson admitted to taking the lumber from the business and said someone else dropped off the landscaping rocks. He also admitted the methamphetamine found on the kitchen table and in the garage was his. He said the glass pipe was his.

Another adult at the residence told police the methamphetamine belonged to Olson and that drugs were usually kept in the garage, not inside the house. She also reported that two other children live at the residence and were at school during the search.

The complaint says Olson has a prior conviction under Minnesota’s controlled-substance law.

The charges were filed September 23, 2026, in Blue Earth County District Court.

About This Charge

Minnesota’s controlled-substance statutes are organized in five degrees under § 152.021 through § 152.025. First-degree possession or sale carries up to 30 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence depending on quantity. Fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin are all Schedule I or II controlled substances triggering the highest-degree statutes.