Crime, Law and Justice

Authorities apprehend man who escaped from sex offender facility in St. Peter

Authorities say a man who escaped a Minnesota Sex Offender Program facility in St. Peter early Friday has been apprehended.

St. Peter police said 45-year-old Beau-Jacob Edward Zimmer escaped on a black Specialized-brand bicycle around 1:30 a.m. Authorities had said he might have been armed with an orange-handled kitchen knife.

In an update later Friday morning, St. Peter police said Zimmer was taken into custody shortly after 7 a.m.

“We would like to thank public, particularly the citizen who spotted him and notified law enforcement,” police said in a post on social media.

Authorities did not provide further details on the circumstances of Zimmer’s escape or where he was found.

The Minnesota Sex Offender Program is operated by the state Department of Human Services. The agency said MSOP clients generally start the program at its facility in Moose Lake. As they progress through treatment, they’re transferred to less-restrictive facilities in St. Peter.