A 45-year-old Morristown woman is facing felony charges after children biking near a trail by Centennial Park told Rice County deputies she pulled a knife on them and threatened to kill them in their sleep. Elizabeth Jane Kallestad now faces one count of making threats of violence and three felony counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to MN Crime, Rice County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to a weapons complaint in Morristown on August 31, 2026. A parent told deputies that their children had been biking on the trail when a woman pulled a knife on them, and three children were present for the encounter — two belonging to the reporting parent and a third child who said she knew the woman from two earlier run-ins.
Children Describe Knife Pulled From a Purse
One child told deputies the woman pulled a knife from her bag and held it to the child's chest, per the complaint summarized by the outlet. The same child said the woman threatened consequences for snitching again and threatened to kill the children in their sleep, while also calling them derogatory slurs, including references to their religion and economic status. That child reportedly believed the confrontation was motivated by having identified the woman in a lineup tied to a separate incident, and said the woman had previously thrown a bike into the water while the child was fishing earlier in August.
A second child described the encounter beginning as a verbal argument before escalating, the complaint states. The third child, who said she recognized the woman from two prior encounters, told deputies the woman made accusations she knew were false and described seeing what she believed was a switchblade with a black handle. The woman reportedly took a knife with a black handle and gray blade from a small black shoulder purse and followed the children briefly as they left the area.
Search Warrant Turns Up Folding Knife
The criminal complaint, filed in Rice County District Court on September 2, 2026, states that Kallestad admitted to arguing with children in the park but denied pulling a knife or having one in her possession. When deputies told her she was under arrest, she reportedly tried to go back inside her home before deputies blocked the doorway.
Deputies later obtained a search warrant and found a small, dark shoulder purse on the floor of her bedroom, according to the complaint. Inside the purse's front pocket, they reportedly found a black folding knife clipped in place — evidence investigators say corroborates the children's accounts.
What Kallestad Could Face in Court
Under Minnesota Statute 609.713, a conviction for threatening to commit a crime of violence can carry up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. The second-degree assault charges, filed under Minnesota Statute 609.222, carry a potential sentence of up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to $14,000 per count. Kallestad faces three of those felony counts in addition to the single threats charge.
The case remains in Rice County District Court, where the charges were filed. No additional details about Kallestad's plea, bail status, or next scheduled court appearance were included in the available record.
