BELTRAMI COUNTY, MN (trfnews.i234.me) — A 21-year-old Bemidji woman is facing gross misdemeanor DWI charges after law enforcement responded to a reckless driving report and observed her attempting to drive off outside a Petro Serve gas station in Beltrami County.
According to a complaint filed in Beltrami County District Court, Valencia Marie Wilson was located by Deputy Lavonte Hardie on the night of July 11, 2025, after a caller reported a dangerous driver on Highway 89. The vehicle was later found at 2470 Paul Bunyan Drive, where multiple individuals were seen arguing near the car.
Deputy Hardie watched Wilson get into the driver’s seat and begin driving. He initiated a traffic stop and noted that Wilson displayed slurred speech, watery eyes, and a strong odor of alcohol. Wilson admitted she had been drinking.
After failing field sobriety tests, Wilson blew a .20 on a preliminary breath test (PBT). Once transported to the Beltrami County Jail, she provided a second breath sample that measured .16, twice the legal limit.
She is charged with:
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Count I: Traffic – DWI – Operate Motor Vehicle – Alcohol Concentration 0.08 Within 2 Hours
A gross misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail and/or a $3,000 fine.
Court documents also indicate that Wilson had a prior Minnesota driver’s license revocation from April 2022.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.