2 more charged with helping violent felon

Published 9:56 am Friday, May 27, 2016

Two additional people have been charged with aiding a man who was hiding from police and caused police to barricade two Austin roads this spring, bringing the total number of people charged in the incident to four.

Heuangsayaseng

Heuangsayaseng

Miranda Marie Brede, 23, of Austin and Shalayna Dee Belden, 25, of Albert Lea were charged in Mower County court Thursday with one count of felony aiding an offender.

Their charges stem from the April 1 arrest of Tom Heuangsayaseng, 30, of Austin, who had multiple felony warrants and allegedly assaulted a woman the day before he was arrested and charged with felony domestic assault, third-degree assault and gross misdemeanor theft.

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On March 31, officers were dispatched to the 1600 block of 12th Street Southwest and blocked the street to speak with the assault victim and search, unsuccessfully, for Heuangsayaseng.

Then at about 7:40 p.m. on April 1, officers were searching for Heuangsayaseng on the 200 block of 12th Avenue Southwest and saw a grey Chevy Silverado pull in the driveway and a man walk into the house, according to court records.

The truck was determined to belong to Andrew Lynn Gulbrandson, and law enforcement believed he may be assisting Heuangsayaseng. About 15 minutes later, a white Chrysler Pacifica pulled up to the residence, and the driver told police he’d heard Gulbrandson was hiding someone in the house and that’s why he was there. He entered the house and came out a few minutes later and told police Heuangsayseng was in the home.

Officers secured the area, and Brede exited the house, who repeatedly denied Heuangsayseng was inside the home, even after being told she could be charged with aiding an offender if she wasn’t telling the truth and he was in the home, according to court records.

She also told officers they “were going to be sorry” and would pay for anything that happened to the house, the report states.

Later after the the Special Incident Response Team (SIRT) was called to the scene, she then changed her story and said Heuangsayaseng had been at the residence earlier but had left in his Escalade about five to 10 minutes before Gulbrandson got to the house.

However, officers informed her they had been watching the house for over an hour and no Escalade or any other vehicle had been or stopped at the house. Brede continued to tell officers he left in the car.

Gulbrandson and Belden then came out of the house, and police informed both of Heuangsayaseng’s numerous felony warrants. But both denied he was in the house, though Gulbrandson admitted to arriving about 30 to 45 minutes earlier that night in the truck.

After obtaining a search warrant, SIRT found Heuangsayaseng on the main floor living area at the base of the upstairs stairway and arrested.

Brede and Belden’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 9.

Heuangsayaseng previously pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of being a violent felon in possession of a firearm. He was also charged with felony domestic assault, third-degree assault and gross misdemeanor theft.

Gulbrandson was charged with felony aiding an offender on Thursday, May 19 in Mower County court.