The Hastings Police Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Office continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the body of a deceased man found in a ditch near Lake Isabel on Sunday.
According to Hastings Police, just before 10 a.m. officers were notified of a 911 call in the 1300 block of Ravenna Trail where a man was in the ditch about 150 feet east of the Vermillion River bridge crossing.
Police say that they are looking for anyone who may have information on a vehicle that was stopped in that area from about 2 a.m. Saturday to 9:50 a.m. on Sunday. If you have information, you are asked to call 651-480-2300 or 651-439-9891.
The investigation into the cause of death is now with the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office in Minnetonka. Police are not identifying the man pending autopsy and next of kin. Investigators do however believe this incident is related to a suspicious fire incident that occurred early Saturday morning on Saint Croix Trail in Denmark Township. If you have any information on this incident you are also encouraged to contact Hastings Police or the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Hastings Police promised more updates as the investigation progresses. The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, State Fire Marshal, and Hastings Fire Department are assisting in the investigation.