Local Video
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| No one in custody from Eighth Street warrant search |
By: By SUZANNE ROOK, senior reporter
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Posted: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 2:06 pm
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**Thursday 3:15 p.m. **
Federal officials say no one has been taken into custody in relation to a search yesterday afternoon at a house on West Eighth Street.
A search warrant for the home remains sealed by court order, and its contents and the reason Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents searched cannot be discussed, spokesmen for ICE and the U.S. attorney's office in Minneapolis said.
The son of homeowners Ernst and Ida Luposchainsky, Ernst Luposchainsky III, also known as Kahn, is a 1972 graduate of Northfield high School.
Under the pseudonym "Kahn Amore" he authored a book, “Hypatia,” a fictionalized account of the life of Hypatia, an ancient Greek female mathematician. A Web site dedicated to the woman, www.hypatia-lovers.com, titled “Hypatia World,” contains references to her, as well as complicated mathematical formulas and pornographic images and videos.
**6:30 p.m. **
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials executing a search warrant on a Northfield home this morning noticed what they believe were hazardous materials, setting off a chain of events that drew not only a dozen members of the National Guard and a handful of FBI agents, but dozens of curious bystanders.
Tim Counts, an ICE spokesman, couldn’t comment on the federal search warrant, which is sealed under court order. The investigation, he said, is ongoing and is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
Counts said that just after 5 p.m. this evening a Minnesota National Guard Civil Support HAZMAT team deemed chemical compounds removed from the home at 405 W. Eighth St. were not hazardous.
Northfield Police Chief Mark Taylor he received a call from ICE late this morning, he said, asking for his department’s support. Northfield police officers contacted nearby residents, assuring them officials had the situation under control.
Neighbor Dennis McKenna said when he asked the officer whether the house was a methamphetamine lab, the officer replied that “it was much worse than that.”
VIEW MORE PHOTOS
A gallery of photos from the scene Wednesday afternoon can be viewed here on our site.
THE LUPOSCHAINSKYS
Ernst and Ida Luposchainsky immigrated to the United States in 1956 after spending more than a decade in a refugee camp in Austria. They grew up in Romania and Yugoslavia, respectively. While in the refugee camp Ernst worked as a police officer and later as a pastry chef in a U.S. Army camp. Ida was a kindergarten teacher.
Through the Lutheran World Immigration service and their sponsor, Clifford Witt, the Luposchainskys immigrated to Kenyon around Aug. 9, 1956 with
their two children, Edith and Ernst Jr.
Four years after immigrating to Kenyon they moved to Northfield where both were employed at St. Olaf College; he as a pastry chef and she in the dining
room. They became U.S. citizens on May 9, 1963. |
HAZMAT team members, covered from head to toe and wearing gas masks and with air tanks strapped to their backs, brought the compounds from the house in a small red cooler shortly after 4 p.m. A short while later, the men stripped to shorts and T-shirts and sealed their clothing in polyethylene bags.
The home is owned, according to Rice County records, by Ernst and Ida Luposchainsky. The couple, who live with their adult son, have resided at the house since the early 1960s, according to neighbors.
A man whose home backs up to that home said that a son, Ernst, also known as Kahn, lives with the couple, who are senior citizens.
The neighbor described Kahn as a friendly man who has lived there for several years. He enjoys gardening and is sociable, the neighbor added.
The three were moved from the house to their back yard, where they waited with an ICE agent during the removal of the supposed hazardous material. McKenna, the neighbor, said the agent refused to let him speak to the Luposchainskys during the ordeal.
After HAZMAT teams left, neighbors again tried to talk to the Luposchainskys, but the family turned them away. Neighbor Shawn Matson said ICE officials told them they had nothing to worry about.
No arrests have been made, Counts said. He declined to comment on whether charges are pending.
ICE, he said, has jurisdiction over more than 400 federal statues and immigration laws. ICE agents said they expected to remain on the scene for several more hours.
— Staff writers Jaci Smith, Andrea Nelson, David Henke, Jeff Wald and Ariel Emery contributed to this report.
**4:30 p.m.**
A mess of federal agents from several departments have surrounded a home on Eighth Street near the Northfield Area Veterans Memorial.
A dozen Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, in addition to 22 members of the 55th Civil Support Team and federal agents in suits are on the scene. A A city official has said federal agents have been at the home since this morning.
The surrounded home is located at 405 Eighth St. W. Rice County records say the white home is owned by Ernst and Ida Luposchainsky.
A man whose home backs up to 405 said that a son known as Kahn lives with the couple, who are senior citizens. The neighbor described Kahn as a friendly man who has lived there for several years. He enjoys gardening and is sociable, the neighbor added.
The Civil Support Team, a branch of the Minnesota National Guard, is based near the international airport. The team responds to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear hazards, said 1st Lieutenant Randy Belden.
Belden said he believed the team's presence was requested by ICE this morning, and the team responded within one hour. The team takes samples and provides on-site analysis, providing assistance to law enforcement agencies.
As of 4:15 p.m., crews appeared to be packing up their equipment.
A police officer knocked on the neighbor's door at 10 a.m. and let him know he was safe and there was nothing to worry about.
When the neighbor asked if it was a meth lab, he says the officer responded "No, it's much more serious than that."
A sealed search warrant was served on the site before 10 a.m. by the FBI.
At about 2:20 p.m., two men with masks and air tanks removed a three-gallon red cooler from the home. They handed the cooler to another man in fatigues, who took it down the street to a secure-looking truck. The two men with air tanks then returned into the house.
A HAZMAT affiliate has an emergency spill response trailer from the Twin Cities on the scene. One witness reported large, black rectangular containers are outside the home.
Northfield News reporters are on the scene. Check back for news at it becomes available.
**4:20 p.m.**
A mess of federal agents from several departments have surrounded a home on Eighth Street near the Northfield Area Veterans Memorial.
A dozen Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, in addition to 22 members of the 55th Civil Support Team and federal agents in suits are on the scene. A A city official has said federal agents have been at the home since this morning.
The surrounded home is located at 405 Eighth St. W. Rice County records say the white home is owned by Ernest and Ida Luposchainsky.
The Civil Support Team, a branch of the Minnesota National Guard, is based near the international airport. The team responds to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear hazards, said 1st Lieutenant Randy Belden.
Belden said he believed the team's presence was requested by ICE this morning, and the team responded within one hour. The team takes samples and provides on-site analysis, providing assistance to law enforcement agencies.
A man whose home backs up to 405 said that a son known as "Con" lives with the couple, who are senior citizens. The neighbor described Con as a friendly man who has lived there for several years. He enjoys gardening and is sociable, the neighbor added.
A police officer knocked on the neighbor's door at 10 a.m. and let him know he was safe and there was nothing to worry about.
When the neighbor asked if it was a meth lab, he says the officer responded "No, it's much more serious than that."
At about 2:20 p.m., two men with masks and air tanks removed a three-gallon red cooler from the home. They handed the cooler to another man in fatigues, who took it down the street to a secure-looking truck. The two men with air tanks then returned into the house.
A HAZMAT affiliate has an emergency spill response trailer from the Twin Cities on the scene. One witness reported large, black rectangular containers are outside the home.
Northfield News reporters are on the scene. Check back for news at it becomes available.
** 3:00 p.m. **
A mess of federal agents from several departments have surrounded a home on Eighth Street near the Northfield Area Veterans Memorial.
A dozen immigration agents, in addition to military members in fatigues and federal agents in suits are on the scene. A city official has said federal agents have been at the home since this morning.
The surrounded home is located at 405 Eighth St. W. Rice County records say the white home is owned by Ernest and Ida Luposchainsky.
A man whose home backs up to 405 said that a son known as "Con" lives with the couple, who are senior citizens. The neighbor described Con as a friendly man who has lived there for several years. He enjoys gardening and is sociable, the neighbor added.
A police officer knocked on the neighbor's door at 10 a.m. and let him know he was safe and there was nothing to worry about.
When the neighbor asked if it was a meth lab, he says the officer responded "No, it's much more serious than that."
At about 2:20 p.m., two men in fatigues with masks and air tanks removed a three-gallon red cooler from the home. They handed the cooler to another man in fatigues, who took it down the street to a secure-looking truck. The two men with air tanks then returned into the house.
A HAZMAT affiliate has an emergency spill response trailer from the Twin Cities on the scene. One witness reported large, black rectangular containers are outside the home.
Northfield News reporters are on the scene. Check back for news at it becomes available.
** 2:30 p.m. **
A mess of federal agents from several departments have surrounded a home on Eighth Street near the Northfield Area Veterans Memorial.
A dozen immigration agents, in addition to military members in fatigues and federal agents in suits are on the scene. A city official has said federal agents have been at the home since this morning.
At about 2:20 p.m., two men in fatigues with masks and air tanks removed a three-gallon red cooler from the home. They handed the cooler to another man in fatigues, who took it down the street to a secure-looking truck. The two men with air tanks then returned into the house.
A HAZMAT affiliate has an emergency spill response trailer from the Twin Cities on the scene. One witness reported large, black rectangular containers are outside the home.
At least one neighbor has been evacuated from their home. Wilson believed an older couple and their son live in the home that is surrounded.
Northfield News reporters are on the scene. Check back for news at it becomes available.
**2:13 p.m. **
A mess of federal agents from several departments have surrounded a home on Eighth Street near the Northfield Area Veterans Memorial.
One neighbor, Quintin Wilson, reported seeing FBI, military and immigration officials at the scene.
A city official has said federal agents have been at the home since this morning.
A HAZMAT affiliate has an emergency spill response trailer from the Twin Cities on the scene. One witness reported large, black rectangular containers are outside the home.
At least one neighbor has been evacuated from their home. Wilson believed an older couple and their son live in the home that is surrounded.
Northfield News reporters are on the scene. Check back for news at it becomes available.
**2:08 p.m. **
A mess of federal agents from several departments have surrounded a home on Eighth Street near the Northfield Area Veterans Memorial.
One neighbor, Quintin Wilson, reported seeing FBI, military and immigration officials at the scene.
A trailer with the words "emergency spill relief" is on the scene, another witness reported, and large, black rectangular containers are outside the home.
At least one neighbor has been evacuated from their home. Wilson believed an older couple and their son live in the home that is surrounded.
Northfield News reporters are on the scene. Check back for news at it becomes available. |
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Background Link on the 55th CST, from the MNANG Public Affairs website. It lists their mission, etc.
http://www.minnesotanationalguard.org/press_room/e-zine/articles/index.php?item=1150