Two Arrested After Bemidji Home Burglarized, Thousands Stolen
Authorities charged two people after an elderly Bemidji resident’s home was burglarized and about thirty thousand dollars was taken from a safe, raising concerns about safety for families who leave homes vacant while relatives are in care. Police recovered portions of the stolen cash at local motels, and the arrests highlight evidence of forced entry and drug paraphernalia found during the investigation.
Beltrami County investigators announced charges on December 2, 2025 after a break in at a residence on 1st Street East in Bemidji that occurred on November 29. The homeowner was living in a care facility at the time. The victim’s brother, who had been checking the residence, discovered a closet door open and the safe moved. Police reported pry marks on the safe, and items removed included cash and a small metal box containing additional currency.
Investigators identified and located two suspects over the following days. Police detained thirty seven year old Joshua Allen Church of Roseau at the Super 8 Motel and later reported he admitted acting as a lookout while others forced entry using a large crowbar. Thirty year old Amelia Rose Shockley of Bemidji was arrested separately at the SouthShore Hotel. Officers recovered approximately eight thousand three hundred dollars in Church’s motel room and about four thousand dollars on Shockley. Evidence collected included a crowbar, gloves, and a business envelope marked House Deed that had been removed from the safe. Police also reported methamphetamine paraphernalia in Church’s room. The criminal complaint connected both defendants to the Thanksgiving Day break in and both were charged with second degree burglary and theft.
The burglary removed roughly thirty thousand dollars in total from the home, and the cash recovered at the two locations amounts to about twelve thousand three hundred dollars, leaving approximately seventeen thousand seven hundred dollars unaccounted for according to police estimates. For families in Beltrami County, the case underscores the vulnerability of unoccupied homes, and the financial exposure when large sums of cash are kept on premises rather than secured through banks or other protective measures.
Local law enforcement says the investigation remains ongoing and charges have been filed. The arrests and evidence recovered provide prosecutors with material for the case, while the community response is likely to focus on improving home checks, securing valuables, and remaining alert to unusual activity around residences with absent occupants.
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