Fosston Parking Lot Call Leads to Drug DWI Charges

FOSSTON, Minn. (trfnews.i234.me) — A Lengby woman faces three charges after a Fosston parking lot investigation.

Melinda Sue Ingalls, 40, is charged in Polk County District Court. The case includes two gross misdemeanor DWI counts and one misdemeanor cannabis count.

The complaint lists June 24, 2026, as the offense date. The probable cause section describes the police contact on June 25.

Parking Lot Report Led to Search

Police were sent to the Dollar General parking lot around 5:39 p.m. A caller reported two people inside a Chevrolet Tahoe.

The caller said they appeared to be smoking something from tinfoil. Officers contacted Ingalls and a male passenger at the scene.

Ingalls denied smoking from tinfoil, according to the complaint. She told officers she had driven the Tahoe.

Police reported seeing tinfoil and a lighter inside the center console. A later search found tinfoil with burned residue.

Melinda Sue Ingalls

The store video showed the Tahoe entering the parking lot, the complaint states. An employee also told police that Ingalls often drove it.

After checking her driving record, the police arrested Ingalls. Her Minnesota driving privileges had been revoked after a prior DWI case.

Officers also found suspected marijuana inside a sandwich bag. The complaint says the bag weighed about nine grams.

Drug Test and Filed Charges

Ingalls was taken to the Northwest Regional Corrections Center in Crookston. She later provided a urine sample there.

The sample tested positive for methamphetamine and fentanyl, according to the complaint. Prosecutors said no listed medication explained those results.

Ingalls faces one DWI count involving methamphetamine. She faces another DWI count involving fentanyl.

Each gross misdemeanor count carries up to 364 days in jail. Each also carries a possible $3,000 fine.

The cannabis charge alleges an open package inside a motor vehicle. That misdemeanor carries up to 90 days in jail.

It also carries a possible $1,000 fine. The complaint cites two earlier impaired driving convictions as aggravating factors.

The allegations have not been proven in court. Ingalls is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Readers can review Minnesota DWI laws through the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes. Public case information is available through the Minnesota Judicial Branch.

I’m Adrian Cole, reporting for TRF News.