Cliff Buchan
News Editor

What worked like a charm on the first two tries turned sour on the third attempt as Forest Lake police broke up a burglar in progress early Sunday morning.

It happened at Menards, 22800 Everton Ave. N., where on May 11 and May 12 burglars cut through an outdoor storage area fence and made off with copper pipe and conduit valued at more than $10,000.

When burglars returned for a third crack at the Menards storage supply area on Sunday, they tripped an alarm. Quick-arriving officers from the Forest Lake Police Department and Washington County Sheriff's Office arrested one man and are looking for a second man who fled the scene in a vehicle.

Police here have yet to confirm that the three crimes are linked, but Police Chief Clark Quiring has his suspicions. ìWe believe there may be some similarities,î the chief said.

After the alarm was tripped at 3:44 a.m., police arrested Tony Lee Bates, 20, of 717 Emerson Drive, East Bethel. He was found hiding about 50 feet from the storage area by a county canine team.

A second subject, also from East Bethel, was seen leaving the area in a mid-1990s maroon Ford Explorer.

Bates was taken to the Washington County Jail in Stillwater where he was charged with second-degree burglary and felony possession of burglary tools. He was arrested in possession of numerous burglary tools that included a pry bar and bolt cutter, Quiring said.

Burning violation

A Forest Lake man earned a trip to jail on Monday night after he was arrested for a second time for illegal burning.

Quiring said officers were called to 6493 North Shore Trail N. to investigate a report of possible illegal burning. Gregory A. Mann, 45, was taken into custody on an outstanding county warrant for illegal burning and issued a second ticket for illegal burning.

When police arrived on the scene, they observed what appeared to be plastic burning in a fire pit. After ordering the fire to be out and running a check on Mann, he was placed under arrest and taken to jail, the chief said.

Other reports

In other police report, Quiring said his department, with partnership from the Washington County Sheriff's Office, completed the May Safe & Sober saturation program and recorded a total of 141 traffic stops.

During the shifts of extra patrols, Quiring said officers were targeting speeding and stop sign violators with an added emphasis on seat belt compliance.

Police wrote 80 tickets during the saturation period, including 42 for seat belt violations.

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Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605