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MN B. N.: Missing from Zimmerman, MN - 21 Jan 2026 - Age 7 *Found Safe*

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https://bnonews.com/index.php/2026/01/minnesota-amber-alert-brynlee-nelson-missing-in-zimmerman/

Minnesota Amber Alert: B. N. missing from Zimmerman​

A Minnesota Amber Alert has been issued for 7-year-old B. N. after she was possibly abducted after getting off a school bus in Zimmerman, north of Minneapolis, officials say. Anyone with information is urged to call 911 immediately.

B was last seen at 3:55 p.m. on Wednesday after getting off a school bus in the 26000 block of 13th Street West in Zimmerman, about 33 miles northwest of Minneapolis, according to the amber alert. Details are still limited.

According to police, a black car was seen following the school bus but it’s still unclear whether B got entered the vehicle or if it’s related to the case in any way. An amber alert issued just before midnight described it as a child abduction.

B is a 7-year-old white female with blonde hair and hazel eyes, standing 4 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 70 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black jacket, white boots and blue snow pants while carrying a backpack with keychains and trinkets. She was wearing a pink sweatshirt and black pants underneath her winter clothing.
 
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6:31 p.m. they received a call about the missing child. Advised B usually got off bus around 4 p.m. Was miscommunication amongst family about where she could have been dropped off after the bus stopped... (going to have to come back to that and think on it... or see what more is said there)

After checking around with family and neighbors, LE was called (again at 6:31). So 2.5 hours after she should have gotten off bus it seems.
 
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When got there scene was chaotic, tips called in, etc. Black car came up then. They were able to determine she apparently never got in that car, or no one saw her do so.

Eventually a different kind of alert went out that was Sherburne County specific which I take to mean only in their county. [I don't like that word eventually, why doesn't he say when?] anyhow...

That alert was for aid in a search operation. At that time they did not meet criteria for an Amber Alert. (We never got this alert, not our counties)
 
Through continued investigation, a suspect Joseph Bragg was developed. Through info, they believed B was a victim of a stranger abduction.
 
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Through investigative techniques, they developed general location of suspect and identification of potential vehicles involved...
 
one was a white Dodge Ram pickup. A cop's alert was issued coordinating with LE in Albert Lea, investigators were working to pinpoint exact location of suspect...

The decision at that time was to not send the Amber Alert out in fear the suspect would be notified/find out. The Amber Alert went out when LE was in a position to close in on the suspect...

HMMMM...
 
Shortly before 1 a.m. they were notified the white Dodge was located and that the suspect was taken into custody without incident and B was located safe...
 
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Taken to hospital for eval. Now thanking LE and partners, etc. Quite a bit of time left so guessing he takes questions yet...

700 volunteers came out in subzero temps to help locate B.
 
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Taking a break before listening to the questions, etc.

So we were notified with an Amber Alert scaring everyone when they already knew basically where he was and had him???
 
Why in the he77 did I get an Amber Alert when he is basically almost on the IA border and Albert Lea is NOWHERE near me?? Scared everyone! Woke people up!! Had me googling to figure out where the first county was, etc.

Only thing I can think of is even though I live nowhere close nor do many others, I guess it is possible we could have been traveling and in that area but very unlikely AND they seemed to already have him or know where he was...

I sure hope they explain some of this! Maybe parents were fretting about wanting an alert out and did not know what LE was doing, hard to say but it just doesn't seem right... The alert went out with NO vehicle info either so still doesn't make sense...
 
So supposedly there is a SM tie to family I guess and this man...? Is this what that babysitter website was about...? Did they hire this stranger to watch her??

Hmm maybe I'm right. Reporter now saying others reported he was reaching out to families saying he was a professional nanny... OMG if true. Probably is, cop won't affirm or deny...
 
Overwhelming response from community members and LE in that county. 700 volunteers, 200 LE came in (as he said no way were 200 on duty at that time)...
 
Abducted in Zimmerman found in Albert Lea, he said he believes the Maple Grove address people found for him was a prior address... SO where was he living... Didn't say... Was Zimmerman home? Albert Lea home? Neither??
 
Well that's it. I will say they did a fantastic job of determining fairly fast she was abducted and not just missing (some hours probably but pretty darned fast) and tracking him down and getting her back safely... They must have went through a lot of things fast or something...?? I can only believe cell phone, GPS or plate readers played in... Maybe video initially or an eyewitness seeing him in Zimmerman or something... 3:55 would have still been daylight... How they got to him or the fact he rented a vehicle... The plate I'd guess...

A LOT of unknowns to us yet. No previous bad criminal history doesn't sound like so they wouldn't have known him as an SO or anything...

Boy her family and that child are LUCKY. Of course they aren't going to say if she was SA'ed at least not yet, I'm sure if suspected they'd need results back... And to have an expert talk to her...
 
GrandmaBear said:
Why in the he77 did I get an Amber Alert when he is basically almost on the IA border and Albert Lea is NOWHERE near me?? Scared everyone! Woke people up!! Had me googling to figure out where the first county was, etc.

Only thing I can think of is even though I live nowhere close nor do many others, I guess it is possible we could have been traveling and in that area but very unlikely AND they seemed to already have him or know where he was...

I sure hope they explain some of this! Maybe parents were fretting about wanting an alert out and did not know what LE was doing, hard to say but it just doesn't seem right... The alert went out with NO vehicle info either so still doesn't make sense...
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They're issued by state. If you're in the state, you're going to get the alert.
 
SheWhoMustNotBeNamed said:
They're issued by state. If you're in the state, you're going to get the alert.
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I just googled it and it said they aren't always statewide. I guess what I didn't get is they knew he was heading south and was already far from us and heading further away. It also said states differ and sometimes they cover several states, sometimes just a region of the state, etc.

It doesn't really matter I guess but it sounded like they didn't issue it until they basically were about to arrest him... Doesn't make much sense to me but more detail may come that will explain it better...

I also hope they had the searchers stop and go home when they knew he was no longer in that county. It was COLD out.
 
www.weau.com

Hundreds brave cold to search for 7-year-old who was abducted by stranger after getting off bus

Hundreds of volunteers helped in the search for a kidnapped child in Minnesota.
www.weau.com www.weau.com

Hundreds brave cold to search for 7-year-old who was abducted by stranger after getting off bus​

When a child goes missing, people show up to help, no matter how cold it is outside.

Hundreds of volunteers braved the cold in a community that understands how scary it is to lose a child.


The search has now become an investigation into who took her and why.

Ben Zawacki of the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office said investigators believe the girl was abducted Wednesday by a stranger.

The Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office said Joseph Bragg, a man with no permanent address, is facing charges in the abduction of the girl.

Bragg has no significant criminal history, according to Evans.

The investigation is now focused on why he traveled to Zimmerman and why this specific girl.

Several local mothers claim Bragg has sent them messages on social media responding to their online search for a nanny and babysitter. Some of those messages date back to October.

“That’s a piece of it I don’t think we can talk about at this point right now,” Zawacki said when asked about Bragg’s alleged replies.

While the investigation continues, officials said they are grateful for the community’s support and the hundreds of volunteers who dropped everything to find the missing girl.

“We want to make sure that everybody across Minnesota continues to do just what we saw in this community today. When a child goes missing, we come together. We work together,” Evans added.

Authorities said the incident is a good reminder to parents to talk to kids about strangers, school pickup procedures and social media use.
 
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