Arrest warrant filed for Lakeville mom on probation for hiding daughters

A warrant was issued Wednesday in Dakota County for the arrest of a Lakeville mother who was prevented last month from choosing prison time over probation for hiding her two teen daughters from their father.

The warrant notes that Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, 51, has violated terms of her probation by not maintaining contact with probation officials and failing to notify them in a timely manner of any change of address, employment and telephone number.

Therefore, the warrant continued, the Sheriff's Office is under orders to arrest Grazzini-Rucki and bring her before the court.

While it may appear that Grazzini-Rucki could well end up serving the prison sentence that she desired, County Attorney James Backstrom cautioned against drawing that conclusion.

"The final decision on whether the stay of execution of her prison sentence will be revoked or whether she will be reinstated on probation will be made by her sentencing judge following a hearing, which will occur after she is arrested on this warrant," Backstrom said.

Stephen Grigsby, who represented Grazzini-Rucki in the criminal case up until sentencing, said Wednesday that it's logical that she would violate the terms of her probation, given her wish to go to prison instead.

Another one of her attorneys, Michelle MacDonald, insisted Grazzini-Rucki hasn't broken the law and is waiting to hear from her.

"She hasn't done anything wrong. … She wants to follow the law," MacDonald said.

The warrant lists an address in Stillwater as Grazzini-Rucki's last known residence. However, MacDonald said her client is homeless.

On Oct. 3, Judge Karen Asphaug did not allow Grazzini-Rucki to serve up to eight months in prison and instead sentenced her to the six years of probation and annual stints of 15 days in jail until 2022, to be served on the anniversary that her daughters were found.

The court decision to deny prison time came after an unusual twist where she chose to execute a prison sentence in lieu of the probation and jail time.

Grigsby had predicted a month ago that Grazzini-Rucki "has no intentions to comply with probation."

Days after the sisters, Samantha and Gianna, ran away in April 2013 in the midst of a tumultuous divorce between Grazzini-Rucki and David Rucki, she and her friend Dede Evavold drove them to a horse ranch near Herman, Minn.

The ranch was run by Doug and Gina Dahlen, who were sympathetic to Grazzini-Rucki's claims that the family court system failed her children.

Evavold was found guilty of six counts of felony deprivation of custodial/parental rights. She is being held without bail pending her Nov. 10 sentencing.

The Dahlens face felony charges of deprivation of parental rights for allegedly helping to hide the girls.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482