Overview
- Two separate incidents were reported on Sept. 28 when teenage girls in Ramsey and Coon Rapids said a man in a vehicle tried to abduct one and chased and sexually assaulted the other.
- Investigators used images of a suspected car and obtained search warrants for Flock automated license‑plate reader data to track the vehicle and narrow suspects.
- After forensic analysis and cooperation among local, county and federal partners, authorities identified and arrested a 20‑year‑old Ramsey man who remains in custody with criminal charges pending.
- Officials say there is no ongoing threat to the public now that the suspect is detained and investigators have not yet confirmed whether the two incidents are officially linked.
- The case highlights growing use of automated license‑plate readers and interagency data sharing in investigations and renews questions about privacy, access and oversight for that technology.