BRAINERD, Minn. — A Brainerd man faces a dozen charges, including murder and kidnapping after a man was found dead, and a pregnant woman and her four children were allegedly abducted at gunpoint last week.
Chad Aaron Aanerud, 35, was charged Monday with two counts of second-degree murder, one count of criminal sexual conduct, five counts of kidnapping, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of arson in connection to a crime spree in Brainerd that prompted officials to issue an Amber Alert.
According to court documents, Aanerud allegedly went to a home on Halloween night, sexually assaulted a pregnant woman and threatened to shoot her children before abducting the woman and her four children at gunpoint.
The complaint goes on to say that Aanerud began dumping "buckets" of fuel on a nearby home, where he also stole guns before the woman told the children to run to a neighbor's house. The neighbor told authorities that the four children arrived at their home saying Aanerud was "robbing grandpa and grandma's house," according to the charging documents.
One of the neighbors living in the nearby home was dropped off at the residence where Aanerud was at, and at one point there was a confrontation, according to the criminal complaint. The pregnant woman told officials that Aanerud had shot the man, later identified as 62-year-old Lyle Maske. Aanerud later told police that he accidentally shot Maske with a rifle when Maske "' stuck his nose' where it didn't belong," according to court documents.
After shooting Maske, the criminal complaint says Aanerud got in a van and drove to the neighboring residence where the four children were at. The neighbor told officials that Aanerud "demanded" that they turn over "his kids," while threatening to kill one of the neighbors. At least one shot was fired at the home, according to court documents. The neighbor then told authorities that Aanerud forced the pregnant woman and her four children into a vehicle, and drove away at a high rate of speed.
The neighbor then called Crow Wing County deputies at around 1:50 a.m. to report the shooting and abduction. When authorities arrived, they found a Maske in the driveway of the home with rifle casings on the ground. Authorities also noticed a nearby home fully engulfed in flames.
Authorities issued an Amber Alert for the vehicle and law enforcement located the minivan on a side road north of the Highway 371/10 split in Morrison County around 7:15 a.m. A traffic stop was conducted and Aanerud was arrested without incident.
While speaking with law enforcement, Aanerud admitted to taking the four children as well as starting the house fire. According to the criminal complaint, Aanerud claimed the homeowner's wife wanted him to "stage a burglary" and then burn down the home for the insurance money. However, court documents say that the homeowner told officials he didn't have insurance on the residence.
A GoFundMe has been created to help the victims.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and needs help, call 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788 to be connected with someone from the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline includes more options for support and identifiers of abuse on its website.
For Minnesota residents, Cornerstone MN offers resources and safe housing for domestic abuse survivors and crime victims. Call 1-866-223-1111 or chat online with the crisis hotline.