A Fairmont man with an active warrant out for his arrest was apprehended in Isanti County after being pulled over for suspicious driving behavior.
Jerry Wayne Kilts, 37, was charged on May 12 in Isanti County District Court in Cambridge before Judge John Dehen with felony fifth-degree drug possession and misdemeanor driving with a revoked license. Kilts’ bail was set at $60,000 without conditions or $30,000 with conditions and his next court appearance for June 1.
Kilts was apprehended on May 10 after being pulled over for suspicious driving behavior on Highway 95 in Wyanett Township.
According to the criminal complaint:
On May 10, at 3:36 a.m., Isanti County Deputy Jonathan Vander Vegt was patrolling in the area of Stanford Township when he observed a Ford Escape and a Ford Taurus station wagon eastbound on County Road 8. Vander Vegt got behind the vehicles and became suspicious of the vehicles, due in part to the fact that both vehicles would periodically tap their brakes, and were traveling at speeds well below the speed limit.
The Ford Taurus station wagon was registered to an elderly male out of Blaine.
Vander Vegt continued to follow the vehicles, and based off of the peculiar behavior, Vander Vegt was suspicious the parties may be up to criminal activity.
Eventually the vehicles arrived at Highway 95, where they both turned westbound. Vander Vegt continued to follow the vehicles.
Getting closer to Highway 47, Vander Vegt became even more suspicious of their activity as the route they were taking did not make any sense. After crossing Highway 47, Vander Vegt decided to perform a traffic stop due to the suspicious driving behavior. Vander Vegt had additional concerns related to the elderly registered owner of the Ford Taurus station wagon in that he may be suffering from dementia, or some such illness, and may be lost due to the fact the route they were traveling did not make any sense.
As Vander Vegt activated his emergency lights and stopped the Ford Taurus, he observed the Ford Escape in front quickly turn onto the next township road and disappear.
As Vander Vegt approached the Taurus, he observed a duffel bag lying in the back seat. On top of the duffel bag was a butane torch, like those commonly used for smoking controlled substances. Vander Vegt made contact with the driver who advised she had permission to drive her father’s car and identified herself with her driver’s license. It was determined she was on probation for controlled substance out of Anoka County.
The female advised she was going to Blaine, despite the fact she was traveling in the opposite direction. She also said she was coming from Zimmerman, which also did not make sense. When asked if she was traveling alone, she advised she was and did not make any mention of the vehicle she had been following.
While conversing with her, Vander Vegt observed the Ford Escape pull back onto Highway 95 and travel westbound. On the arrival of Isanti County deputies Alex Schlangen and Matthew Burkhardt, Vander Vegt requested Schlangen travel to the west to see if he could locate the Ford Escape.
The female driver said she was not aware of all the items inside the vehicle, and said the duffel bag behind her was not hers.
Based upon the indications of drug activity observed, Vander Vegt utilized his K-9 Kojac, who is certified in narcotics and patrol.
Kojac showed a distinct change in his breathing at the open window indicating he was in the presence of a target odor, then sat down in his final indication position.
After Kojac’s positive indication, Vander Vegt searched the vehicle, locating a prescription pill bottle in the name Jerry Kilts inside the duffel bag and a small zippered bag containing a brown powdery substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 0.6 grams.
A short while later, Vander Vegt was advised Schlangen located the Ford Escape, driven by Kilts. During the search of the Taurus, Vander Vegt found license plates for the Ford Escape that Kilts was driving.
The female driver advised she went to the Zimmerman area to meet with her boyfriend, Kilts. They then left and were going to go to Taylors Falls to hide out due to the fact that Kilts had warrants. She said Kilts had placed the duffel bag in the back seat of her vehicle sometime on Tuesday and the bag was his.
Meanwhile, Schlangen approached Kilts. Dispatch advised that Kilts had an active Department of Corrections warrant. Schlangen informed
Kilts he would be placed under arrest for his warrant.
While inventorying the Escape, Burkhardt located a bag with a crystal-like rock substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.