Detroit Lakes Woman Charged in $4,677 Car Damage Case

Detroit Lakes (trfnews.i234.me) — A Detroit Lakes woman faces a felony charge over alleged damage to another person’s vehicle.

Megan Helen Carlson, 32, is charged with first-degree damage to property in Becker County District Court.

Prosecutors say the vehicle’s estimated repair cost totaled $4,677.77.

The alleged damage occurred sometime during October 2025, according to the criminal complaint.

Vehicle Damage Discovered Months Later

The investigation began on April 21, 2026, after the vehicle owner reported damage to Detroit Lakes police.

The woman said bright sunlight helped her notice markings beneath dust covering the vehicle.

After wiping the dust away, she discovered an offensive word scratched into the vehicle.

She also found other scratches across the vehicle, according to the complaint.

The woman told investigators she believed the damage happened at her workplace.

However, she was unsure exactly when the vehicle had been damaged.

She said she had been involved in disputes with other people at work.

The vehicle owner later spoke with coworkers while trying to learn more about the damage.

She eventually obtained a text conversation that investigators reviewed.

Police linked the phone number used in those messages to Carlson, according to prosecutors.

The complaint alleges Carlson admitted in those messages that she damaged the vehicle.

The messages reportedly placed the incident sometime during October 2025.

The vehicle owner told investigators she and Carlson had been involved in a dispute.

The complaint does not describe the dispute in greater detail.

The vehicle owner later provided police with an estimate from a repair shop.

The estimate placed the cost of repairs at $4,677.77.

Minnesota law allows first-degree property damage charges when qualifying damage exceeds $1,000.

The felony charge carries up to five years in prison.

It also carries a possible fine of up to $10,000.

The case is filed as Becker County court file 03-CR-26-1408.

Readers can review Minnesota Statute 609.595 regarding criminal damage to property.

Additional court information is available through the Minnesota Judicial Branch.

The charge is an allegation and has not been proven in court.

Carlson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.