On January 29, 2026, JA, [DOB REDACTED], reported that his detached garage unit at [ADDRESS REDACTED], White Bear Lake, Ramsey County, was burglarized and over $20,000 in antiques were missing from the garage. Trail camera footage from the unit showed that the burglaries occurred on January 6, January 7, and January 9, 2026. Officers recognized the person who committed the burglaries to be Charles Prescott Vadnais, [DOB REDACTED]. The trail camera had been pushed to a downward angle, but it captured the unique tattoos that Vadnais has on his hands.
It also captured a silver wedding ring worn by Vadnais. The Vehicle used in the burglaries, a 2002 white Chevrolet Tahoe, also traced to Vadnais. That vehicle had unique features including black rims, a round accessory affixed to the driver’s side interior a-pillar, a phone mount affixed to the center of the windshield. On January 25, 2026, an officer stopped Vadnais in that vehicle. At the time of the stop, it did not have a license plate. As of February 2, 2026, a license plate [PLATE REDACTED] was issued for the vehicle, and it registered to Vadnais.
Body camera footage from that traffic stop showed Vadnais in possession of a blue puffy jacket that was in the vehicle at the time of the traffic stop. He was wearing a matching jacket it the footage of the burglaries. Vadnais was also wearing boots during the burglaries which matched boots that he wore during an arrest for motor vehicle theft on December 30, 2025. On February 3, 2026, officers arrested Vadnais at his residence, [ADDRESS REDACTED], White Bear Lake. They executed a search warrant on the Tahoe and his residence.
Vadnais was in the Tahoe when officers arrived. The Tahoe possessed the unique features displayed by the vehicle used in the burglaries. Officers recovered the blue puffy coat and unique boots worn in the burglary and seen on or in Vadnais possession during the prior traffic stop and arrest. In a post-Miranda interview, Vadnais denied committing the burglaries. He said he was at a sober house, The Lighthouse, in North Hudson on the dates of the burglaries. Investigators followed up with the manager of the sober house.
He said that Vadnais usually comes at night and leaves in the morning. He said there is no log at the house to record when somebody arrives or leaves.
