People react to theft of 244 yard signs in Minnesota, allegedly by political candidate's wife

ALEXANDRIA, Minn. — Lawn signs advertising the Legacy of the Lakes summer concert series in Alexandria started mysteriously disappearing over the last couple months.

“We just assumed it was a very innocent reason why they were missing until it kept happening,” said Sara Robinson, advancement director at the museum. “One by one, people started to say, ‘This seems too strange.'”

Robinson’s suspicions were proven true. The same thing was happening to others. 

A worker at a local gun shop saw a woman snatching political signs from the lawn outside and said he snapped a photo she posed for before driving away with the signs in her van.

“They’re mad. They’re frustrated,” said Alexandria Police Chief Scott Kent.

Kent said his department put together a number of similar reports describing the same suspect stealing signs. They wrote a search warrant, raided the suspect’s home, and say they found 244 lawn signs in the garage — from realtor ads and political signs to random garage sales.

“It was pretty much non-discriminatory,” Kent said.

The suspect is Wendy Hoff, who has been charged with misdemeanor theft in one of the cases while the county attorney decides how to handle the rest.

She’s the wife of Judd Hoff, the local DFL-endorsed candidate running for Minnesota House of Representatives against his neighbor, Republican Mary Franson.

“Living across the street from him has been disturbing on multiple levels,” Franson said.

Judd Hoff has had several run-ins with police and was convicted of felony assault in a machete-wielding incident. 

Earlier this year he posted a number of videos involving Franson — as well as of things he found in her trash.

When asked what she’s found most disturbing, Franson said, “Being recorded when I come and go.”

KARE 11 News left messages with both of the Hoffs but they have not responded. On Facebook, Judd Hoff defended his wife saying Wendy’s alleged actions were for beautification and the signs were illegally placed. 

The Minnesota DFL already disavowed Judd Hoff when his disturbing past surfaced this spring. However the Douglas County DFL group doubled down, still supports and endorses him, and today did not return KARE 11 News’ inquiry.