Bemidji cross burning: Two white men, ages 19 and 20, arrested [MUGSHOTS]

By Aaron Rupar Thu., Jun. 7 2012 at 7:36 AM

The matriarch of a biracial family said she was "scared to death" after discovering a burning cross in her yard.

Yesterday, Beltrami County deputies made two arrests in connection with a cross-burning incident that took place on the Bemidji-area property of a biracial family last month, and surprise! Two young white guys are allegedly responsible.

Deputies arrested Derek Barnes, 20, and Ryan Fairbanks, 19. The duo have yet to be charged, but the Bemidji Pioneer reports they could face either gross misdemeanor or felony hate-crime charges.

Further information about law enforcement's investigation and the circumstances of the arrests wasn't immediately available.

Around 12:40 a.m. on May 25, a Bemidji-area woman was sitting in her rural Northern Township home when see saw the sky seemingly catch fire. She ran outside, and there was an 8-foot-tall burning cross propped against a tree.

The woman is white, but her husband and the father of her two adult children is black.

Here's Barnes' mug:

And here's Fairbanks':

They don't exactly look like a pair of seasoned white supremacist-movement veterans, do they?

Previous coverage:
-- Biracial Bemidji-area family finds burning cross in yard

Tags:

Bemidji, burning cross, Derek Barnes, Northern Township, Ryan Fairbanks

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Kirk the Conservative Jerk

"Hate crime;" well ya. Other than dragging them down a gravel road behind their pickup truck, I can't think of anything of anything more qualifying...

BemidjiJack

Your kind is "an idiot" Microphone. BTW, both these guys are Red Lake members. How racist is it to call them "White" simply because of the photo flash and flourecent lights. But their actual race doesn't work for you spin, does it NWA?

Janelle

Fairbanks looks mixed white and Native American to me. He must have a self-hate thing going on, otherwise why would he do that to a biracial family. Barnes looks a little white supremacist though. He's only missing the swastica tatoos.

effeminate dad

They could be facing hard time if they have points and are convicted of a hate crime.

6669

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001029264294 Derek Barnes facebook... he doesn't seem to be a racist. Actually quite the opposite, looks like a wigga

anonymous

says ryans mom ^^

Anonymous

Get the facts straight before you post Aaron...Ryan Andree is an enrolled member in Red Lake.

Microphone Skerschman

My kind? I can only assume you will say my kind is one of three things. Either you think I'm a liberal, a conservative, or a different race than you. That's all the simple minded folks on here argue about. No depth at all. Now get back to racist trolling honky.