LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA — A Minnesota man wanted in connection with a double homicide in Hanska, Minnesota, was arrested Sunday afternoon in Iowa following a high-speed pursuit.
According to the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, 45-year-old Randy Thomas Zimmerman of Courtland is accused of fatally shooting 32-year-old Tabitha Trescott of New Ulm and 50-year-old Justin Reinarts of Hanska early Sunday morning. Trescott’s son called 911 to report that his mother’s ex-boyfriend had broken into their home and opened fire. Both victims died from gunshot wounds to the head. Reinarts was a Hanska firefighter.
Later that day, at approximately 3:45 p.m., the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office was notified that Zimmerman was traveling eastbound on Highway 92 in Iowa in a 2013 black Toyota Camry. The vehicle was located in Washington County after a license plate recognition alert. Deputies from Louisa, Muscatine, and Washington counties, along with the Iowa State Patrol, intercepted Zimmerman near X43 and Highway 92.
Authorities said Zimmerman fled at speeds exceeding 100 mph, firing a shotgun from his vehicle toward a Louisa County deputy, though no officers were injured. Deputies used PIT maneuvers to disable the car, and Zimmerman attempted to flee on foot before being taken into custody. A shotgun believed to have been used in the Hanska incident was recovered near the scene.
Zimmerman has made his first court appearance in Iowa and faces second-degree murder charges in Minnesota. He remains in the Louisa County Jail on a $5 million cash-only bond and has waived extradition, awaiting transport back to Minnesota. Local charges may be filed later.
Multiple agencies assisted in the pursuit and arrest, including the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Letts Fire Department, and Wapello Ambulance.
