On July 2, 2025, at approximately 7:25 AM, Community Service Officer (CSO) Dunford was dispatched to a reported theft that occurred in South Rochester, Olmsted County, Minnesota. Upon her arrival, she met with an adult male, fully identified in police reports (hereinafter “Victim”), who stated work tools had been stolen from his work truck. Victim [NAME REDACTED] had dropped off his truck on July 1, 2025, for service, leaving his keys in the gas cap. He returned on July 2, 2025, at approximately 5:30 AM, and observed that the toolboxes on the truck had been gone through and multiple tools had been taken.
Victim stated all of the tools have numbers engraved on them, and he provided a list of more than 20 stolen tools to CSO Dunford. CSO Dunford looked for the stolen tools on Leads Online and saw that six of the tools were listed for sale at a pawn shop in Rochester. The person who pawned the tools was listed as JOSEPH ANDREW HOLDEN, [DOB REDACTED]. The date the items were pawned was July 2, 2025 at 10:15 AM. Detective Gagnon was assigned to follow up on this case. On July 17, 2025, he contacted Holden, who admitted to pawning the stolen items.
Holden admitted to the theft but denied he took more than the items that were pawned. Holden told Detective Gagnon that he walks with a limp and uses a cane. Detective Gagnon went to the location where the tools were stolen. He watched surveillance footage of the area at approximately 10:52 PM on July 1, 2025, and someone who appears to be Holden is walking on the property using a cane. The total combined value of the stolen tools Holden pawned was $1,577.18. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: YOU MUST APPEAR FOR EVERY COURT HEARING REGARDING THIS CASE. FAILURE TO APPEAR FOR COURT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE AND MAY RESULT IN ADDITIONAL CRIMINAL CHARGES BEING IMPOSED AND PUNISHED AS PROVIDED IN MINNESOTA STATUTES SECTION 609.49.
