Minnesota State Sen. Nicole Mitchell (D) was arrested on first-degree burglary charges when she was found in a home four hours from the district she represents on Monday.

Mitchell was booked at Becker County Jail and is being held, Police Chief Steve Todd told USA Today.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Mitchell said the home in which she was found belonged to a relative with dementia, and that she was there to retrieve her late father's ashes and other sentimental items from the home.

She said she was checking on the relative, who had stopped talking to her after an argument. "I entered a home I have come and gone from countless times in the past 20 years, where my son even once had his own room," Mitchell wrote.

Mitchell denies charges

"Unfortunately, I startled this close relative, exacerbating paranoia, and I was accused of stealing, which I absolutely deny," she said.

Mitchell said she had gotten medical information about the relative that caused her "grave concern."

Court records said that Mitchell entered the home through a window.

"Clearly I'm not good at this," she told police when they responded to the homeowner's complaint.

"True tragedy"

Mitchell thanked constituents for understanding the circumstances and hearing her out before passing judgment.

"This has been a true tragedy for our family, and my hope is it can return to being a private matter," she said.

Some Republicans were not as understanding as Mitchell would have hoped.

"I understand the difficult situation her family is facing however the actions taken by Sen. Mitchell are disturbing," Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson said in a statement. "This behavior is unbecoming of a member of the Legislature and she needs to resign from the Senate immediately."

Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus Chair Bryan Strawser also called for Mitchell to resign, saying in a news release that if she does not, the state Senate must expel her from the body.

Caucus Senior Vice President Rob Doar said in the same press release that the charges cause concerns for him about how she might evaluate public safety issues.