Sandra Grazzini-Rucki is back in jail, as she surrendered to authorities in Washington County last evening after a warrant was issued for her arrest yesterday for violating her probation. 

Court staff in Washington County confirmed Grazzini-Rucki was in custody, but she was not scheduled to appear in front of a judge today. Grazzini-Rucki has since been transferred from Washington County to the supervision of Dakota County.

According to court documents filed in Dakota County, an arrest warrant was issued for Grazzini-Rucki because she failed to “maintain contact with probation” and she failed “to notify probation within 72 hours of any change in address, employment, and phone number.”

In July, Grazzini-Rucki was found guilty on six counts of deprivation of parental rights for her role in the disappearance of her daughters, Samantha and Gianna Rucki. The sisters ran from their home on April 19, 2013 during a custody and divorce proceeding involving their parents.

The girls’ father, David Rucki, was awarded full custody of all five of his children in November 2013, while two of his daughters remained missing.

On November 18, 2015 – 944 days after they disappeared – the girls were found living on a ranch in northern Minnesota by law enforcement, headed by the Lakeville Police Department. Rucki was reunited with his daughters days after they were found and they live with him at the family’s home in Lakeville.

Grazzini-Rucki’s attorney issued warning saying Grazzini-Rucki had “no intentions to comply with probation”

Last month, Grazzini-Rucki’s criminal defense attorney issued a blunt warning which said his client has “no intentions to comply with probation,” after her request was denied by a judge which would have allowed Grazzini-Rucki to serve more time in jail instead of probation.

Judge Karen Asphaug denied a request by Sandra Grazzini-Rucki to serve her full sentence in prison, which would have allowed Grazzini-Rucki to avoid being on probation for the next six years. Grazzini-Rucki made the request to execute her sentence within hours of her sentencing hearing on September 21, 2016.

Stephen Grigsby, Grazzini-Rucki’s criminal defense was quoted by the Star Tribune was quoted last month saying that “[Grazzini-Rucki] has no intentions to comply with probation.”

Rucki family concerned for their safety

In an interview last week, a member of the Rucki family expressed concerned for their safety based on Grazzini-Rucki’s past behavior, and also because of comments made by Grazzini-Rucki’s attorney which forewarned trouble ahead from Grazzini-Rucki.

Michelle MacDonald continues to mislead the public about Grazzini-Rucki

Michelle MacDonald, who serves as Grazzini-Rucki’s family court attorney, commented to the Star Tribune yesterday about the arrest warrant issued for Grazzini-Rucki. In her comments, MacDonald continued her documented pattern of misleading the public about facts related to Grazzini-Rucki’s criminal case.

Specifically, MacDonald falsely claimed Grazzini-Rucki is homeless, that Grazzini-Rucki had no probation officer, and that her client was not given any instructions when she left jail last week.

Grazzini-Rucki is not homeless, although the address of her current residence remains in doubt, based on inaccurate information provided to the court by Grazzini-Rucki herself.

Also, a probation officer has been assigned to Grazzini-Rucki, hence the reason why the arrest warrant was issued for Grazzini-Rucki for her failure to “maintain contact with probation” among other reasons listed on the arrest warrant.

MacDonald was labeled in April 2015 as a “person of interest” by the Lakeville Police Department in the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki.  MacDonald refused to cooperate with the Lakeville Police Department’s investigation into her possible involvement in the disappearance of the sisters  – even after public statements from her that she would cooperate in the investigation.

Her criminal defense attorney, Stephen Grigsby, said in 2015 that he would advise MacDonald to not speak with the Lakeville Police Department.

MacDonald’s campaign manager in 2014, DeDe Evavold, was also found guilty last month for her involvement in the disappearance of the Rucki sisters.