Zimmerman Girl Found Safe After Amber Alert, Suspect Arrested in Sherburne County Abduction Case

(KNSI) — Authorities in Sherburne County say a 28-year-old man is in custody after a seven-year-old Zimmerman girl went missing after school on Wednesday.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Brynlee Nelson was reported missing after she didn’t get off the bus around 4:00 p.m. Commander Ben Zawacki with the sheriff’s office says there was some confusion among family members about where she could have been dropped off. After checking with family and neighbors, they called 911. Residents were asked to check their campers, outbuildings, and home security cameras for anything suspicious. A search party was dispatched, and hundreds of people were out in the sub-zero weather looking for her.

Zawacki says the scene was chaotic, with numerous reports of what could have happened, including a black vehicle seen following Brynlee’s bus. Investigators determined that no one saw her get into the vehicle. A countywide alert was issued because her disappearance didn’t yet meet the criteria for an Amber Alert.

As investigators continued to work the case, a suspect emerged, and authorities say they believed she was the victim of a stranger abduction. They were able to determine a general location of where Brynlee might be and that a white Dodge Ram pickup truck was involved. At that point, a law enforcement-only alert went out instead of an Amber Alert because police were worried the suspect would be notified they were looking for him.

An Amber Alert was finally issued at 11:40 p.m. after information developed that she had been abducted. Police were able to pinpoint the suspect’s location and close in on him. Around 1:00 a.m., Sherburne County was notified that the truck had been found near Albert Lea, and Brynlee was inside. She was taken to a hospital for observation, and the driver, Joseph Bragg, was taken into custody.

Zawacki says there is a social media connection they are exploring, but there was no known connection between Bragg and Brynlee. Bragg had no known permanent address.

Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said Bragg has no criminal history other than “maybe some minor court actions related to him,” but alluded to more information possibly coming out in the future.

Evans also cautioned parents to monitor their children’s social media use and to talk to them about what to do if they are approached by a stranger.

Charges against Bragg are pending.

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