2 men arrested in cross-burning incident

Published 7:02 am Thursday, June 7, 2012

BEMIDJI, Minn. — Beltrami County sheriff’s officials say two men have been arrested in a cross-burning incident.

Authorities say the Bemidji men, ages 19 and 20, were arrested on suspicion of making terroristic threats and use of an incendiary device. On May 25th, the homeowner called the sheriff’s office and said there was a burning 8-foot cross propped up against a tree in her yard. She put out the fire with a garden hose. A deputy said there was a racist message and material on the cross.

The Bemidji Pioneer (http://bit.ly/K05Ag6 ) reports the woman is white and her two children are of mixed race. Sheriff Phil Hodapp has previously said the incident was being investigated as a “bias crime.”

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