NEW ULM — A woman who engaged in a short-lived stint of mayhem at the New Ulm Wal-Mart has been sentenced to 20 years of probation.
Elisheba Swett, 38, of Worthington, also was ordered in Brown County District Court to pay a $3,155 fine, complete chemical use and psychological assessments and, if deemed appropriate by counselors, write an apology letter.
Swett pleaded guilty in September to kidnapping and terroristic threat charges for the June 14 incident.
Court documents state that on that day she seized a Wal-Mart cashier, forcing her into the parking lot and saying there was a bomb in the store.
The cashier said Swett had gone though her checkout line with four items, then claimed she didn’t have money to pay for them.
The clerk said Swett left, saying she’d return with the money. A few minutes later Swett returned and demanded that the clerk put money from the cash register into the bag containing the items.
At that point Swett told the cashier she’d planted a bomb in the store. The store manager intervened and Swett forced the cashier out of the building, using her in the manner of a human shield.
Witnesses told authorities Swett released the cashier when police arrived. Swett resisted arrest and was taken to jail.
Police evacuated the store and searched it but found no explosives.
The entire event was captured on the store’s surveillance cameras.
Swett has been in the Brown County jail since the day of the crime.
—Brian Ojanpa
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