Authorities investigating after drone drops candy near children in Benton County
(KSTP)
In an update Wednesday afternoon, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office said it had identified and interviewed the person of interest.
Additionally, the department said it believes the person engaged in an ill-conceived effort to get footage for social media and wasn’t trying to engage in criminal activity.
Authorities are investigating a suspicious incident that took place Monday just north of St. Cloud.
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were called to the former King’s Inn property, along the 9400 block of Highway 10, at around 6 p.m. after receiving a report of a suspicious drone and SUV.
A woman told deputies she and five children were fishing in the area when a drone flew up to them, hovered above them and then flew back to the northern part of the property. A short time later, it returned and dropped a bag of candy near the kids.
The sheriff’s office says the group saw a black SUV parked in the northern part of the property and the SUV quickly left northbound on Highway 10 after the drone’s second flight. The witnesses said it was a Chevrolet or GMC full-sized SUV from the early 2000s with a license plate that started with “FED.” The driver was described as a man in his mid- to late-30s with short, dark brown hair.
The sheriff’s office is asking the public for information that could help them identify the SUV or its driver. Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 320-968-7201 or Crime Stoppers at 800-255-1301.