WILLMAR — A 55-year-old female business owner was arrested over the weekend on charges of false imprisonment, assault, disorderly operation of a business and soliciting a woman into prostitution.
On Saturday, March 9, at approximately 1:35 p.m., police responded to a store in the 2400 block of First Street South for a report of a woman screaming, according to a Monday news release from Willmar Police Chief Jim Felt. I received a report.
Upon arrival, officers found an adult female employee who claimed to have been assaulted by management. The woman was taken to the hospital by ambulance with minor injuries.
During the investigation, police received information that the victim had recently moved to Minnesota from out of state and was living in the store with the business owner.
Felt said the victim had come to Wilmar looking for a new job and that the owner had “hidden” her within the company. She claimed that her owner did not allow her to leave the house and was in charge of basic care items, such as allowing her to eat and bathe.
The woman also claimed that the owner instructed her to perform sex acts at the customer's request. When she refused, the owner allegedly assaulted her.
A search warrant was obtained for the business. When police officers searched, they found what appeared to be a residence inside a business that was not designated as a residence. Various items were also seized as evidence, including video systems, mobile phones, ledgers and suspected DNA evidence.
The business owner, identified as a 55-year-old woman from Willmar, is currently being held in the Kandiyohi County Jail on charges including domestic assault, false imprisonment, solicitation of prostitution, and disorderly housing ownership and operation.
The West Central Tribune typically does not publish the names of suspects until after they appear in court and are formally charged.
Felt said the investigation is still ongoing.
