Arrest made in fish house heist

PERHAM, Minn. — Authorities have nabbed a man suspected of stealing a $10,000 fish house off a nearby lake just as he was about to paint the hut to disguise it.

Deputies arrested Daniel Martin Kaufman, 31, of Deer Creek, Minn., for stealing the valuable hut, which was reported stolen some time on Dec. 27 from the north side of Big Pine Lake, northeast of Perham.

Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Department officials said they located the stolen structure at a rural residence southeast of Deer Creek thanks to an anonymous tip. When officers arrived Dec. 30, they found Kaufman painting the fish house a different color, allegedly to disguise it from authorities.

Steven Simmons of Wayzata, Minn., the owner of the 2008 Ice Castle fishing hut, reported that it contained about $600 worth of fishing tackle and equipment.

Louis Hoglund is a reporter at the East Ottertail Focus in Perham and New York Mills, Minn., which is owned by Forum Communications Co.

Tags: fish house, news, minnesota, crime, theft