Sex offender caught after escaping St. Peter facility marks 2nd breakout in just over a week, police say
A 53-year-old man caught after escaping a Minnesota Sex Offender Program facility in St. Peter is the second man in just over a week to break out of the same site, authorities say. He is also the third man to escape a state facility in the last five months.
The most recent escape happened on Saturday night, according to recently filed charges. The man's roommate told staff at the St. Peter facility around 7 p.m. that they should check on the man because he was lying on his bed and hadn't moved for "quite some time."
Staff discovered a dummy with the man's ankle monitor attached had been placed on his bed, charges say. Investigators used the man's phone records to track down and interview someone who drove him to Albert Lea, Minnesota.
The man bought a vehicle in Albert Lea and then drove to Missouri, where he was located by law enforcement on Sunday afternoon and taken back into custody, according to the criminal complaint.
The man is charged with one felony count each of escaping from the custody while being a client of a Minnesota Sex Offender Program and escaping from custody while under the supervision of a sex offender program facility. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $20,000.
A 45-year-old man escaped the St. Peter facility on May 9, police say. The man left the facility around 1 a.m., and was captured around six hours later.
In December 2024, a patient escaped a treatment facility in Rochester, Minnesota. In this incident, a 43-year-old man cut off his ankle monitor before breaking out. Police found the man after receiving a report about a suspicious person 2.5 miles from the facility.
On Friday, at a New Orleans jail, 10 inmates escaped by fleeing through a hole behind a toilet. A manhunt is ongoing for seven of those inmates, while three have since been recaptured.
Note: The above video first aired on May 9, 2025.
Sexual Assault Resources
- (SOS – Ramsey County)
- Sexual Violence Center (SVC – Hennepin County)
- Aurora Center (U of MN)
- 360 Communities (Dakota County)
- Hope Center (Rice County)
- Canvas Health (Washington County)
- Alexandra House (Anoka County)
General Sites for information related to sexual assault and resources throughout Minnesota:
General Sexual Assault Websites:
