On November 3, 2025, officer were dispatched to the report of a theft occurring at a construction site on the overpass of Portland Ave S and I-494 in Bloomington, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Dispatch advised a person was trying to steal a generator and tools. While en route, officers were informed the suspect had fled on food towards Richfield, and had last been seen jumping a concrete wall behind the Winner Gas Station at [ADDRESS REDACTED] S., Richfield, Hennepin County. Officers arrived and located the male suspect hiding to the east of the gas station.
The suspect verbally identified himself as “Tommy Powell [DOB REDACTED].” Defendant was later fully identified as DARRELL SMITH, [DOB REDACTED], “Defendant” herein. Officers searched the area where Defendant was located and found a bag he had been wearing that contained a large set of rachet straps, construction gloves, specialty chain oil, and ground marking spray paint. It was later determined that all of these items had come from the construction site. Officers also located two metal/steel banding carts that had been removed from the construction site to the area of the gas station.
The carts were valued at $750 per piece, and the items recovered from the bag were valued at $200. Officers spoke with a witness who said he had arrived at work that morning and saw the man, who he knew did not belong on the site, attempting to take a generator and a bag of tools. Officers also spoke with the site supervisor who said that Defendant did not work for them and had no permission to be there. Officers also reviewed surveillance video that showed Defendant at the gas station at approximately 4:15 A.M., dragging the banding carts from the construction site to the area near the gas station.
Defendant is easily identifiable by backpack because he was wearing a vibrant blue bag that was the bag officers recovered from him when he was stopped. While on site officers learned that two padlocks were damaged or cut. In a Miranda statement Defendant admitted to being at the site and knowing that there was no overnight security like he had seen in the past. Defendant said he went to the construction site to “complete a task: and find items including chains and other things with wheels he could use to help move other items.
Defendant admitted that he had taken items from the site, but claimed he was not the only person and was not responsible for the broken padlocks. Defendant declined to provide information about any other people at the site with him. Defendant is currently in custody.
