The former mayor of a city in Minnesota, was arrested on a charge of burglary after being accused of breaking into the new mayor’s home and stealing a Swiss army knife.
Now, 34-year-old Joseph Mark Rongstad of Watson, pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree burglary.
Charges of first-degree burglary and trespassing were dismissed as part of a plea bargain agreement with prosecutors. In an unrelated case, Rongstad has been charged with reckless endangerment after firing a gun from his truck.
He told police that he was trying to get away from corpses that were following him. The reckless endangerment charge will be dismissed at sentencing.
According to the criminal complaint, Kyle Jones called police around 7:30 a.m., to report that someone broke into his home and ransacked it.
Jones told police that he suspected Rongstad. When police confronted Rongstad, they found that he had Jones’ Swiss army knife.
They also found Rongstad’s keys and black shirt in Jones’ home.
A Chippewa County district judge ordered Rongstad committed to a mental hospital on the basis of mental illness.
