BROOKINGS COUNTY (9-30-26) — Two Aurora men face criminal charges after allegedly driving through a hay field, in the latest incident of intentional crop damage in Brookings County.
The Brookings County Sheriff’s Office reports arresting 21-year old Alec Tietjen and 26-year old Hunter Kloos on September 26, following a report made shortly after 5 p.m. of two pickup trucks covered in fresh mud driving near 215th Street and 468th Avenue.
When sheriff’s deputies investigated, they discovered a hay field on 215th Street — previously reported damaged on September 19 — had sustained additional damage from a vehicle being driven through the property. A witness recorded the license plate numbers of both trucks, enabling deputies to locate and interview the drivers.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, one driver admitted both pickups caused the field damage. The second driver denied driving through the field, claiming he only briefly entered the area and then turned around.
Both Tietjen and Kloos were arrested for intentional damage greater than $1,000. They were booked and subsequently released on personal recognizance bonds, with court appearances scheduled for November 2.
This is fourth recent incident of field vandalism reported in Brookings County: sometime between September 4-7, someone drove through a corn field along 466th Avenue; sometime between September 2-3, a vehicle drove a half-mile through a bean field near 466th Avenue; and on September 19, the hay field on 215th Street sustained severe tire-spinning damage.
The Sheriff’s Office says neither Tietjen nor Kloos has admitted involvement in any of the earlier incidents.
The Brookings County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate and will follow up on future leads. Anyone with information about any of these incidents is asked to contact the Brookings County Sheriff’s Office at 605-696-8300. Anonymous tips can also be made through Brookings Area Crimestoppers — www.brookingsareacrimestoppers.com or 605-692-STOP (7867).
— Brookings Radio News
