On August 5, 2025, police received a report regarding a stolen package from the mailroom of an apartment building located in West St. Paul, Dakota County, Minnesota. The reporting party, an adult male identified herein as “Victim,” reported that he had received notification that his package was delivered to the mailroom on August 1, 2025. When he went to the mailroom on August 4, 2025, the package was not there. Staff from the apartment building provided surveillance video of the package being stolen around 3:40 A.M. On August 3, 2025. The suspect entered the building through a secured door (without using a key) unmasked but wearing a black long-sleeve shirt and pants.
A short time later, the suspect was in the mailroom looking through packages before taking Victim’s package, along with others. A few minutes later, the suspect left in a light blue t-shirt and shorts. The suspect appeared to have a vertical tattoo along the back of his left calf. When the suspect entered and left the building, he was carrying a black backpack. On August 11, 2025, apartment staff reported to police that the same suspect had been found to enter the apartment numerous times to steal packages between July 27, 2025, and August 12, 2025, always in the overnight hours.
Staff reported that the suspect would pull on the secured door hard enough that the door would open even though the suspect didn’t use a key fob to unlock the door. On August 14, 2025, police were conducting surveillance at the apartment building at approximately 2:00 A.M. Police observed an individual exit the apartment building wearing a black backpack. As police tried to monitor the individual, the person walked through the parking lot and police lost sight of them. Police checked the parking lot but were unable to locate the individual.
Police did locate a black backpack apparently abandoned in the parking lot adjacent to the apartment building’s parking lot. Officers searched this backpack and located numerous documents in the name of MICHELL ELVIN RICHMOND [DOB REDACTED]. Officers compared known photographs of RICHMOND with surveillance video of the suspect trespassing at the apartment building on numerous occasions and identified RICHMOND as the suspect. This included surveillance video of the August 3, 2025, theft of Victim’s package.
Prior booking photos of RICHMOND documented the vertical tattoo on his left calf, consistent with the surveillance video of the 2 19HA-CR-25-2083 Filed in District Court State of Minnesota 12/5/2025 suspect leaving the apartment building after stealing Victim’s package. Police also confirmed that RICHMOND does not reside at the apartment building and instead resides about a mile away.
