Brainerd man faces a dozen charges in a crime spree that sparked AMBER Alert

BRAINERD, Minn. – A Brainerd man is charged in connection with a slew of charges, including murder, kidnapping and arson a shooting spree that triggered an AMBER Alert last week.

Prosecutors in Crow Wing County filed charges Monday against 35-year-old Chad Aanerud. Aanerud was arrested on Friday morning after he allegedly kidnapped a pregnant woman and her four children at gunpoint.

A criminal complaint alleges that Aanerud went to a woman's home on Loerch Road in Brainerd on Halloween night, sexually assaulted her and threatened to shoot her children.

Aanerud then took weapons from another house on the same property before dousing them with gasoline and setting them on fire, the allegations say. The woman told her children to run to a neighbor's house, which they did, and the neighbor then went to the woman's house to investigate.

According to the complaint, Aanerud shot the neighbor, whom authorities identified as 62-year-old Lyle Maske. Maske died at the scene of the accident.

Authorities allege that after the shooting, Aanerud forced the woman into a van under threats of violence, then drove to the neighbor's house and kidnapped the four children.

On Friday morning, authorities issued an AMBER alert for Aanerud and his alleged victims. He was found and arrested near Little Falls around 7:20 a.m. The woman suffered injuries “indicative of a physical attack,” the lawsuit says. Authorities said they found 13 stolen guns in Aanerud's car.

In an interview with law enforcement, Aanerud said he accidentally shot Mask and intentionally burned the house down, the complaint said. He also admitted to kidnapping the woman and children, according to the complaint.

In total, Aanerud faces two counts of second-degree murder, one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, five counts of kidnapping, one count of first-degree arson, two counts of second-degree assault and one count of theft. He remains in custody.

Note: The above video originally aired on November 1, 2024.

For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.

Sexual Assault Resources

General sexual assault information and resource websites across Minnesota:

General sexual assault websites: