Dad Charged in Deer Carcasses Dumped on Somalis’ Cars

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP)-- Prosecutors have charged a central Minnesota man with a gross misdemeanor but not a hate crime for allegedly having his teenage son dump bloody deer carcasses on the hoods of two cars owned by Somali-American men.

The Stearns County Attorney's office on Wednesday charged 62-year-old Daniel Knowlen of St. Cloud with contributing to the delinquency of a child. The charge carries a maximum sentence of a year in jail and a $3,000 fine.

The complaint alleges that Knowlen watched as his 14-year-old dumped the skinned carcasses on the cars parked outside a YMCA on Nov. 14. Surveillance video tracked down the pair.

According to the complaint, Knowlen told police it was "just being funny" but acknowledged he "probably could have" stopped his son. Knowlen said he did not know who owned the cars and was not trying to target the drivers.

One of the Somali men told authorities he feared the deer was a message that he was not wanted in the community.

Messages left with the prosecutor's office were not immediately returned Wednesday night. Court records do not list an attorney for Knowlen.