Vandalism spree in St. Cloud leads to two arrests

Authorities in St. Cloud have arrested two men in connection with a string of arson, burglaries and golf course vandalism that took place over the weekend.

Coda Lee Johnson, 18, and Ryan Daniel Caird, 19, both of St. Cloud, were arrested Sunday and face two counts of burglary, one count of arson and one count of criminal damage to property.

Police believe the men are responsible for driving their car onto the St. Cloud Country Club golf course and causing more than $100,000 in damages, primarily to four of the golf course holes -- 1st, 9th, 17th and 18th.

Two of the greens will also have to be completely re-done, according to St. Cloud Police Sgt. Martin Sayre.

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"Why they would want to go cause all that damage ... there's really no explanation why they did it," Sayre said. "They didn't have some vendetta against the owner of the golf course."

Authorities believe Johnson and Caird are also responsible for two burglaries and for setting a scooter on fire around the same time Sunday morning.

The police said officers responded at 4:43 a.m. Sunday to a report of suspicious activity at 2602 Regal Road and found a mini bike on fire.

As officers arrived on the scene they learned that a neighbor was following a suspect vehicle. Police also found that two homes had been burglarized.

Deputies with the Stearns County Sheriff's Department arrested the men just outside the city limits shortly after, Sayre said.

Johnson and Caird are currently being held at the Stearns County Jail. They are scheduled to have their first court hearing Monday afternoon, Sayre said.