Inmate Captured After Early Morning Jail Escape in Chisago County

Apr 10

An inmate awaiting trial escaped from custody in Chisago County early Thursday, prompting a large-scale search involving multiple agencies.

Authorities say the inmate—46-year-old Donald Edmond Warner—fled from the Chisago County Jail in Center City around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, April 10, during a routine supervised trash duty.

Authorities responded immediately, coordinating efforts across several agencies. Warner was located and taken back into custody about one mile from the facility by around 3:10 a.m. Officials confirmed he was apprehended without incident and returned to the jail.

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The sheriff’s office says additional charges related to the escape are expected to be filed. Authorities said an internal review is underway to determine how the escape occurred and what measures might be needed to prevent similar future incidents.

Warner, of North Branch, was being held on a first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge connected to a 2010 sexual assault in Chisago County. According to court records, the 26-year-old victim was walking home late at night in Stacy when she was attacked by a man who threw her to the ground, threatened to break her neck and sexually assaulted her. The case went cold for over a decade but in late 2023, investigators linked Warner to the crime through a DNA match from his discarded cigarette butt.

The DNA recovered in 2010 from a sexual assault kit was confirmed by the BCA in Dec. 2023 to match Warner’s profile. After being placed under surveillance, Warner was arrested in a Subway parking lot in Stacy. He denied knowing the victim or how his DNA could have been present, but a follow-up DNA test confirmed the match. The victim told investigators she had never met Warner and had never consented to any contact.

A Chisago County Grand Jury indicted Warner in June 2024, allowing prosecutors to seek a life sentence if he’s convicted. Chisago County Attorney Janet Reiter called the allegations against Warner "deeply disturbing” and his bail was set at $1.5 million.

Warner has prior convictions for fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct in both Anoka and Chisago counties, dating back to 1999 and 2000.

Departments involved in the response Thursday morning included the Lakes Area Police Department, Wyoming Police Department, North Branch Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol and sheriff’s offices from Isanti, Anoka and Washington counties. Additional assistance came from the Forest Lake, Blaine and Coon Rapids police departments.

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