Kare11
Murder suspect recharged after missing witness is located
Albert Lucas is accused of killing George Zeon, 19, at a gas station on West Broadway Avenue in May 2021. His case was initially dismissed after a witness vanished.
MINNEAPOLIS — Albert Lucas avoided trial in April 2023 when the key witness to his alleged murder of George Zion vanished. Prosecutors were forced to ask the judge to dismiss the case without prejudice, meaning charges could be refiled later.
Now, a juvenile petition was refiled after the witness, referred to in court documents as “Known Female A,” was arrested and held in the Hennepin County Jail. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office intends to recertify Lucas, now 20, as an adult again.
According to the criminal complaint file in the case, George Zeon was pumping gas at the Amstar gas station on West Broadway Avenue on the evening of May 6, 2021, when Lucas allegedly pulled up in another car and shot Zeon.
Police arrested Lucas, who was 17 at the time, based on identification from Known Female A, who allegedly drove the getaway vehicle.
According to the charging documents for her role in the case, Known Female A admitted driving Lucas and another man, Levon Smith, to the gas station and then driving them away following the shooting. Court documents said she also admitted wiping down any part of the car Lucas and Smith may have touched, at their request.
During a January hearing, the witness admitted under oath that she committed the crime of aiding an offender and helping Lucas. Her guilty plea and sentence of probation was set to be accepted after she testified for the prosecution in the Lucas trial.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11’s newscasts. You’ll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist:
Sergeant Tony Bryand spent 10 months in the Middle East, and never got to see his stepdaughter perform – until Saturday
CHANHASSEN, Minn. — Few things match the mystery of the theater or the warmth that comes from the holidays. At the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, that warmth was easy to spot Saturday night.
Hundreds gathered to watch the musical White Christmas, but for one person, the show wasn’t the most important part of their evening.
It was who would be there.
“Me and her have had a really good bond since I’ve came into her life,” Sergeant Tony Bryand said.
Sgt. Bryand has been away on deployment in Kuwait for the last 10 months, returning home just in time for the holidays. On stage, his stepdaughter, nine-year-old Jenalia, plays Susan Waverly.
“Me being gone is a big change, really hard on her,” Sgt. Bryand said, choking up. “Hard on me.”
During the preshow announcement, emcee Nancy Nelson walked out, set to announce the start of the show.
Instead, she was interrupted by Jenalia.
“On behalf of the theater, Nancy, we would all like to thank you for all you do!” Jenalia said, surprising Nancy.
“You should have them, and I know someone who wants to give them to you, darling,” Nelson said in response. “Turn around!”
In front of the crowd, Jenalia turned and saw Sgt. Bryand, running into his arms, reuniting the two after months apart.
“He has not seen her on this stage, in this show, but he will tonight!” Nelson said while the two embraced.
Sgt. Bryand sat and watched his stepdaughter perform during the show, the nerves he had conquered, and now reunited for the holidays.
“Gonna give her a memory, gonna give us a memory that we’ll never forget,” he said.
MINNEAPOLIS — Tributes are pouring in from all corners of the NFL after Vikings legend Randy Moss announced he was diagnosed with cancer on Friday.
Former Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen paid tribute to Moss before his game with the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
Moss’s former teammate, Cris Carter, shared a message of support on social media as well.
Former NFL superstar Deion Sanders shared his optimism regarding Moss’s health update.
Former Vikings quarterback and fellow Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre also shared a message of prayer for Moss.
Prayers to Randy Moss and his family.🙏
Randy is and will always be one of the all time greats to ever run a route. Definitely on the NFL WR Mt. Rushmore. pic.twitter.com/SUXDBPM5PQ
— Brett Favre (@BrettFavre) December 11, 2024
Moss’s former fellow Vikings wide receiver Jake Reed shared his thoughts for Moss.
Thielen also shared his thoughts on social media prior to wearing his jersey before Sunday’s game.
Last year’s mild winter forced The Ice Palace in Delano to shut down after only being open for four days.
DELANO, Minnesota — The weather is full of ups and downs. But for The Ice Palace in Delano, crews are wishing for a steady winter season.
“It’s been very cold and then very warm. We’re going up and down, and up and down,” said Britton Youngstrom, director of operations. “But as you can see… everything here, we put here. Mother Nature has provided no ice or snow for us. We have a snowmaker and we have sprinklers going so when the temperatures are allowing, we’re able to grow the ice.”
Crews started laying the ground infrastructure at Delano Central Park three weeks ago and started freezing ice about a week ago.
“Everything starts happening fast when the temperatures hit,” Youngstrom said.
But on Sunday, the weather was too warm for ice building. As temperatures go down, the ice goes up. Currently, ice is about 10 to 12 feet high.
“We are a lot more on track and very hopeful for this season,” Youngstrom said.
Last winter’s mild temperatures forced The Ice Palace to open a month late and close after being open for only four days. At this time last year, ice building hadn’t even started yet.
“It’s devastating to us cause we put in a lot of work and our crews, they really grind through the night to bring the best product,” Youngstrom said. “To not be able to share that with the public is the largest thing that was kind of a morale hit because the reason we do this is to share it with people, to create positive experiences, and to really leave that positive footprint for the winter magical realm.”
While Youngstrom would not disclose how much money they lost, he described it as “fairly significant.”
They weren’t the only snow/ice-related event impacted by the weather.
The weather also forced early closures for Ice Castles and Art Shanty Projects last winter. This year, Ice Castles is moving to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. And after having to cancel last year, the Minnesota Ice Festival plans to be back this season.
“We’re trying to decide if this is the new norm for Minnesota or not. As the last two years have proven to have that unequal temperature fluctuations. But you know, we keep trudging along,” Youngstrom said.
The family-run business is based in Idaho. They typically have locations in both Idaho and Minnesota but after last winter’s hit, they decided to just focus on Minnesota this year. They expect 40,000-50,000 visits.
“The Ice Palace, you enter into another world. That’s the feeling that we aim to achieve,” Youngstrom said.
The plan is to open Dec. 28. If the weather cooperates, they will stay open through the last weekend in February. Tickets can be bought online.
