Charges Filed In Vets Field Destruction

Charges have now been filed against two Hastings men, who each face one count of Criminal Damage to property in the first degree.On Friday, Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom announced that Edward Lee Mears, age 26, and Asa Alden Soine, age 27 have both been charged*in connection with damaging the soccer fields at the Veterans Athletic Complex in Hastings. The damage, done on the night of March 24th has been estimated at $137,000 to replace the sod plus the cost of damage done to a handicap parking sign at the complex, which appeared to have been run over by a vehicle.
At approximately 12:19 a.m. on March 25, 2019, a Dakota County Sheriff?s Deputy stopped a Ford Explorer for alleged Driving While Impaired (DWI). The registered owner and driver was identified as Asa Alden Soine. A passenger was also in the vehicle, and was identified as Edward Lee Mears. Soine was taken into custody as a result of the DWI incident. The deputy noticed at the time that the Explorer was covered in fresh mud that was dripping off the vehicle.    Video obtained from a business on the south side of the athletic complex shows a vehicle similar to Soine?s Explorer traveling on the road leading to the complex at 10:02 p.m. on March 24th.
Surveillance video from another business on the north side of the complex showed a vehicle similar to Soine?s Explorer driving down a footpath away from the athletic complex at 11:40 p.m., approximately 40 minutes before Soine and Mears are stopped in the muddy Explorer by a Sheriff?s deputy. Police recovered a plastic piece from a Ford vehicle in one of the tracks located near the sign that had been damaged at the athletic complex. A search of Soine?s Explorer found a plastic piece missing from the the driver?s side wheel well which matched the one found at the athletic complex. Both men initially denied involvement in the incident.
Both Mears and Soine made their first appearance in court on Friday and bail in the amount of $100,000 without conditions ($5,000 with conditions) was set for both by Dakota County District Court Judge Christopher Lehmann. Soine?s next court appearance is set for May 8, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. in Hastings. Mears? next court appearance is set for May 16, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. in Hastings.
First degree Criminal Damage to property carries a maximum sentence of 0-5 years in jail and/or a $3,000-$10,000 fine. The Hastings Police Department would like to thank the community for tips associated with this investigation, and would like to remind individuals to call 911 when any suspicious behavior is observed