Farmington teens arrested for burglary

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Footprints in the snow led to the arrest of two Farmington teens for burglarizing a home on Jan. 5.

Farmington police officers Sean Scovill and Nate Siem responded to a report of a break-in at a home on the 5500 block of 180th St. W. around 12:20 p.m. on Jan. 6. The female owner had come home from work at noon that day to find that a block had been thrown through a sliding glass door in her basement, shattering the window. The owner also reported several items in the home had been moved, and a $10 bill was missing from a jar in her bedroom.

According to Farmington police detective sergeant Lee Hollatz, officers looked around the house and outside, where they spotted footprints in the snow. They followed the tracks, which led to another house in the neighborhood. There, they talked with a 14-year-old girl. They were given permission to see her shoes, and were able to match the prints in the snow to the shoes.

The girl admitted she and a 15-year-old boy had broken into the home. They thought it was an abandoned home and did not realize anyone lived there until they were inside, according to the report. Instead of leaving, the teenage couple “did what comes naturally,” Hollatz said. The girl also gave police the name of the boy.

“The juveniles cooperated with the investigation, and both were very remorseful,” Hollatz said.

Had it not been for the missing $10, the break-in would have resulted in criminal damage to property and trespassing offenses. However, because they broke into the house and physically removed an item from the home, they were arrested on second degree burglary charges. The matter has been turned over to the Dakota County attorney’s office for formal charges.

Tags: crime and courts, news, farmington