Thief River Falls Man Charged In Furlough Case
Thief River Falls (trfnews.i234.me) — A Thief River Falls man is facing a felony charge after authorities say he violated the terms of a court-ordered furlough.
Elijah Lee Louis Belgarde, 18, of Thief River Falls, has been charged with felony escape from custody. He was arrested on a warrant after a court hearing on the alleged violation.
Furlough Was Granted For Treatment
According to the complaint, Belgarde was granted a furlough on March 26. The furlough allowed him to attend treatment at RiverView Recovery Center.
The order allowed Belgarde to leave the facility for certain approved reasons. Other required trips also had to be approved by Rivers Edge Boarding and Lodge in Thief River Falls.
Those approved departures were tied to treatment purposes, according to the complaint.
Assault Report Led To Review
On May 11, law enforcement learned of an alleged assault involving Belgarde. The complaint states the report came from Belgarde’s sister.
She reported that Belgarde had allegedly assaulted her. She also told authorities he had been removed from the treatment facility.
According to the complaint, she said Belgarde had been kicked out after overdosing there. Law enforcement later verified the information from the report.
A conditional release violation was then filed in the case. A court hearing was held on May 12 to address the alleged violation.
Court Revoked Furlough
At that hearing, the court revoked Belgarde’s furlough. The court ordered him to turn himself in before 5 p.m.
The complaint states that a body-only warrant would be issued if he failed to report. Belgarde was later arrested on a warrant.
The charge is an allegation. Belgarde is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Case information can be searched through the Minnesota Judicial Branch case records system. More information about Minnesota criminal court procedures is available from the Minnesota Courts criminal help topic page.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.