Law enforcement continues to search for the man suspected of burglarizing homes in the Byron area throughout the day Friday after he was stopped with some of the stolen items in his car, officials said today.
The case began at 11:18 a.m. Friday, when deputies from the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office responded to an attempted burglary in the 600 block of Second Avenue Northwest in Byron.
A 19-year-old woman in the house said she'd been asleep about 10 a.m. when she heard a noise. When she investigated, she discovered someone had tried to force a door open to gain entry. Nothing was taken, the report says.
At about 1 p.m., deputies were called to the 100 block of 60th Avenue Northwest, Cascade Township, for the report of a shed that had been burglarized, said Capt. Scott Behrns. Taken from the unsecured building were camping and fishing equipment and a boys bike, all valued at about $250, the report says.
Three hours later, officers went to the 5800 block of Olmsted County Road 103 Northwest, in Kalmar Township, for a report of a home burglary. Sometime between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., someone had made forced entry and taken a TV, a chainsaw, an iPad, a Century safe, headphones, a GPS system, binoculars and three distinctive shotguns — two wrapped in camouflage and one with a scope.
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Total estimated value of loss, including damage to the home, was about $6,000.
But about 10:45 that night, a Minnesota State Patrol officer stopped a vehicle in the 1100 block of Broadway Avenue South, Behrns said. Two men were inside; the driver fled almost immediately, the report says. The passenger, however, was cooperative.
Inside the vehicle, officers allegedly saw a camouflage shotgun and a shotgun with a scope, as well as a Century safe, all believed to have been taken in the Kalmar Township burglary.
Officials continue to search for the driver; the three incidents are all thought to be related, Behrns said.
