Charges: Man Took Excavator on Drunken Joy Ride, Causing $40K in Damage

An Arizona man took an excavator on a drunken joy ride while in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, causing more than $40,000 in property damage to multiple businesses, according to police.

According to reports, Alex Prescott-Hansen, 30, of Phoenix stole an excavator parked in front of the Lakeside Tavern & Brewery on West Lake Drive after leaving a party at nearby restaurant Zorbaz.  

Prescott-Hansen made his first appearance in court June 22 and has been charged with felony criminal damage to property and a misdemeanor DWI. 

The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both, while the DWI charge carries a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine or both.

Alex Prescott-HansenBecker County JailOn the evening of June 21, the Detroit Lakes Police Department was called to the Fairfield Inn and Suites, where Prescott-Hansen had ripped boards and panels off of the hotel's awning. Reports say he also damaged a new light pole and concrete sidewalk outside the Lakeside Tavern & Brewery, in addition to causing significant damage to the Hub 41 restaurant. 

At Hub 41, the excavator destroyed a handrail and a sandboat sculpture, causing an estimated $40,000 in damage to that business alone. 

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When police spoke to Prescott-Hansen, he admitted to trying to drive the excavator and that he had been at a party earlier that day. Police issued a preliminary breath test, showing he was operating the machine with a blood alcohol content of .18. The legal limit in Minnesota is .08.

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