Who is Joseph Andrew Bragg? Maple Grove man arrested for kidnapping Zimmerman girl

Joseph Andrew Bragg, 28, of Maple Grove, was arrested by Albert Lea police after missing 7-year-old Brynlee Nelson was found in his car on I-35.

Updated on: Jan 22, 2026, 21:29:31 IST

By Shamik Banerjee

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Joseph Andrew Bragg, a 28-year-old man from Maple Grove, Minnesota, has been taken into custody by Albert Lea Police on Thursday in the case of the missing 7-year-old Brynlee Nelson. He was arrested from his car on the Interstate 35, the police said. Nelson was found inside the car.

Brynlee Nelson, 7, of Zimmerman, MN, was allegedly kidnapped. (Facebook/ Nelson family)

Bragg, who has been identified as from Maple Grove in Minnesota was arrested and charged with kidnapping, jail records at the Freeborn County Jail. He was tracked down by the police in Minnesota over an active AMBER alert issued for Nelson earlier on Thursday morning.

The AMBER Alert for Nelson was issued at around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The search for the missing seven-year-old continued through the day, before, at around 1:00 a.m. on Thursday morning, Joseph Andrew Brann was taken into custody. The Amber Alert was canceled at around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday.

Who Is Joseph Andrew Bragg?

Joseph Andrew Bragg was arrested by Lea Police Department Thursday night from inside a car, where 7-year-old Nelson was also found. The relationship of Nelson to the suspect is unclear, at the moment.

The jail records from the Freeborn County Jail show that Bragg was booked at 1:07 a.m. on Thursday. He faces charges of 'Kidnapping-Confine/ Remove Any Person- No Consent.'

Also read: Who is Matvei Rumiantsev? What we know about ‘jealous’ Russian national Barron Trump ‘saved’ woman from

An AMBER alert was issued for Brynlee at around 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

The alert read: "7-yr-old Brynlee was last seen getting off the bus around 3:30pm today in Zimmerman. She entered a black sedan (unknown plate). Blonde hair, 70 lbs. Wearing black jacket, blue snowpants, white boots; pink Nike hoodie, black fuzzy pants underneath. Grey/white hat, backpack with many keychains."

A volunteer search party was also organized to look for Nelson.

Local ABC affiliate News 6 reported that Brynlee Nelson was taken to the Mayo Clinic in Albert Lea for medical evaluation after she was found safe. She has now been reunited with her family, the report noted.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shamik Banerjee
Shamik is a journalist covering the United States for Hindustan Times. He has more than four years of experience reporting on US politics, sports, and major breaking stories across fast-moving cycles. He previously worked at Times Now and Sportskeeda, building strong newsroom instincts and digital storytelling skills. At HT.com, he focuses on day-to-day coverage of US political developments while also handling high-impact stories that demand speed, accuracy, clarity, and context under pressure. Shamik has extensive experience covering NFL game days over the past two years, coordinating live updates, analysis, and explainers. He is particularly drawn to large news moments such as US elections and the Super Bowl, where he thrives at the news desk working alongside the team. He holds degrees in Media Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia and English Literature from Jadavpur University. Before entering journalism, he briefly worked in digital marketing and political consultancy roles. Currently a Senior Content Producer at HT Digital, he is driven by curiosity, discipline, and a constant desire to explore new and obscure topics. Outside work, he enjoys reading, films, sports, and learning continuously.Read More

Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.