Police arrested a Minnesota state senator accused of breaking into her stepmom's home to retrieve her dead father's ashes.
Sen. Nicole Mitchell, 49, was charged with first-degree burglary in connection with a break-in at a Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, home, according to the Becker County Attorney's Office, KARE-TV and WCCO-TV reported.
"I was just trying to get a couple of my dad's things because you wouldn't talk to me anymore," Mitchell allegedly told her stepmom at the time of her arrest early Monday morning, according to WCCO.
Mitchell's stepmother called police to report the burglary, in process.
When officers arrived, they allegedly found Mitchell in the basement, dressed in all-black, with a backpack containing two laptops, a cell phone, Tupperware, and documents.
She allegedly broke into the home through a basement window in an effort to obtain "pictures, a flannel shirt, ashes, and other items of sentimental value," according to the criminal complaint, the station reported.
"Clearly, I'm not good at this," she allegedly told investigators, while admitting, "I know I did something bad," the complaint read.
Mitchell's father, Roderick Mitchell, died in 2023 at the age of 72, according to the Star-Tribune. His nearly $173,000 estate was settled in January and awarded to his surviving spouse, Carol Mitchell.
Mitchell – a former meteorologist and U.S. Air Force veteran – has not yet entered a plea to the charge. Her bail was set at $40,000, according to the paper.
A judge issued a restraining order against Mitchell on behalf of the victim.
