Brainerd AMBER Alert suspect in custody; Wife, kids safe, says sheriff

BRAINERD, Minn. – Authorities say a man is in custody after he allegedly kidnapped a pregnant woman and her four children, triggering an AMBER Alert near Brainerd Friday morning. The victims remained uninjured.

Chad Aanerud, 35, is also a suspect in a fatal shooting related to the kidnapping, the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office said.

According to the sheriff's office, the kidnapping occurred just before 2 a.m. in Maple Grove Township. Aanerud kidnapped his 33-year-old girlfriend and her four children, ages 14, 11, 7 and 3, from a home at gunpoint, the sheriff's office said.

Around 7:15 a.m., authorities stopped Aanerud's vehicle in Morrison County. He was arrested and the wife and children were found unharmed in the vehicle, the sheriff's office said.

Authorities identified the fatally shot victim as 62-year-old Lyle Maske. Authorities say both the shooting and kidnapping are under investigation.

The sheriff's office said Aanerud is also suspected of burning down a home on the property where the fatal shooting occurred.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension later confirmed that the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office canceled the AMBER Alert and thanked everyone who helped in the search.