A second man has been charged in Wadena County District Court for burglarizing a North Germany Township home on June 2.
Aaron Patrick Patterson, 27, of Landfall, Minn., joined Shane Allen Donath as a defendant in the theft of many items, including several guns, from the residence.
Patterson was charged with felon convicted of crime of violence -- firearm violation, possess pistol/assault weapon -- conviction or adjudicated delinquent and second-degree burglary in the case.
Bail for Patterson was set at $150,000 with no conditions, or $60,000 bond or $6,000 cash bail with conditions.
According to Wadena County court documents, a Wadena County deputy was dispatched to a home on 201st Avenue in North Germany Township on a report of a burglary. The window of the home had been pried open, the screen pushed in, allowing the burglars to unlock the rear door inside the home. A safe had been opened with the safe's key. Cash was taken from the safe, as well as important papers, court documents said.
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Twelve firearms were taken from a gun case and one double-barrel shotgun was also taken, which had been next to the front door, court records said. Coffee cans with currency in them were cleaned out. Hunting knives were also missing, as were a box of blank checks, savings bonds, birth certificates and a laptop computer. The estimated value of all stolen items is $9,375.
A milk jug and a beer were opened and drank from, and left sitting out, court documents said.
According to the investigator's report, the victim saw Donath at her workplace and asked him what he was doing in town, and he said he had brought a friend from Michigan up to see northern Minnesota. The friend was later identified as Patterson. While there, Donath had put two bottles of water on the counter for purchase, but then left with them without paying. She believed he stopped at her workplace to verify she was working and wouldn't be home.
A Wadena County investigator obtained a court order to get Donath's GPS coordinates, and tracked him to a residence in St. Paul. The investigator also learned Donath had an active warrant out of Washington County. A search warrant was executed at his home.
Police recovered several items that were reported missing from the residence in North Germany Township, court records said. They also allegedly found what they believed was drugs in the residence, namely white powdery substances packaged in small baggies and pills. They were sent to a lab for testing.
On June 8, Donath gave a statement to police, and said he believed the victims had lied about how much was missing from their home so they could claim it on their insurance, court documents said. He said he planned to sell the guns he admitted taking on the street for money. Donath told
police he and Patterson had split the guns. Authorities followed up and executed a search warrant at Patterson's home. They allegedly found several knives and methamphetamine there.
Patterson is a convicted felon from a third-degree assault in 2002. He also has a felony drug charge from 2008.
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Donath has a felony conviction for the theft of a motor vehicle in Washington County in April 2006, a felony controlled substance conviction from 1998, domestic assault convictions in 2005, twice in 1998 and once in 1997. He also has a desertion charge from Chicago in 1992, manufacture of meth charge in San Diego in 1996 and possession of controlled substance charge from San Diego.
