A pregnant woman and her four children were reportedly abducted at gunpoint in central Minnesota early on Friday morning, prompting authorities to issue an amber alert.
The search is underway for 33-year-old Nikkole Dobson and her four children who were believed to have been abducted by her boyfriend, Chad Aanerud, 35, just before 2am on Friday, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension posted on X.
At around 1.50am, Aanerud arrived at a home in Brainerd, Minnesota where Dobson and her children were staying, fired a rifle round into the ceiling, and “forced Dobson and her children to leave with him,” authorities wrote.
He is 6 feet- 2-inches tall and has brown hair and hazel eyes.
Aanerud is also suspected of “fatally shooting a man” at a nearby residence and burning down a home on that property.
Dobson is 33 years old, 5-feet-7 inches tall, with green eyes and reddish-brown hair. Her children are Brandon, 14, Haley, 11, Gracie, 7, and Chloe, 3.
Police are requesting assistance in finding the family. But, they warned: “If you encounter Aanerud DO NOT APPROACH. Call 911 immediately with any information.”
It’s unclear what direction they group is traveling in, but police believe Aanerud is driving a white 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan with a Minnesota license plate AEC 351.
The Independent has reached out to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for more information.
