Text Message From Arizona Leads to Dramatic Sartell Rescue

SARTELL (WJON News) -- A Sartell man is being held in the Stearns County Jail after allegedly holding another man's fiancée against her will.

Several law enforcement agencies joined the Sartell Police in responding to the 400 block of 7th Street North early Friday morning on a report of a woman being held against her will.

A man had called from Arizona saying that he received a text message from the woman that she had been visiting a friend in Sartell, and he wouldn't let her leave. She said the man, 45-year-old Aaron Wright, also physically assaulted her and threatened to shoot her if she tried to leave.

Officers quickly responded to the scene and encountered Wright and the woman in the entryway of his building. The victim was able to free herself and run for safety.

Police say Wright refused commands to surrender and ran back inside the apartment. Wright then allegedly jumped from a third-story window in an effort to escape, but was quickly arrested.

Wright was booked into jail on suspicion of domestic assault by strangulation, felony threats of violence, false imprisonment, and providing a false name to a police officer. Authorities say Wright also had an outstanding warrant out of Stearns County for fleeing police in a motor vehicle.

Police used a search warrant to search Wright's apartment, but did not find a gun.

Sartell Police was assisted by the Minnesota State Patrol, Stearns County Sheriff's Office, the Waite Park Police Department, and the Sauk Rapids Police Department.

Authorities say the incident is a reminder to report any domestic violence so they can intervene quickly and help victims to safety.