On August 6, 2025, Minnetonka Police Officers responded to a report of theft from a motor vehicle that occurred at Big Willow Park, [ADDRESS REDACTED], Minnetonka, Hennepin County. The reporting party, K. S., stated that she arrived at the park to walk her dog at around 2008 hours. She observed a male, later identified as NICHOLAS THEODORE JOHNSON, Defendant herein, get out of his vehicle and wander around the parking lot. He appeared to be walking without destination or purpose and then looking into vehicle windows.
The vehicle he exited had Minnesota plate SMS004. The Defendant noticed K. S. Was watching him and began acting nervous. He then began walking through the parking lot near vehicles again. K. S. Observed the Defendant pull on a black pickup truck door handle with plate ZFE105. The vehicle was unlocked, and the Defendant opened the door, unlocked the remaining doors, closed the driver's door, and opened the rear driver's door. He then took a black backpack from the back of the truck and returned to his own vehicle.
The registered owner of the truck was located, S. S. S. S. Stated he was missing a backpack from his truck. The backpack was his work bag worth $300. Inside was a work laptop valued at approximately $1,000 and a set of headphones valued at $300. He also had his work badge inside. FLOCK cameras captured the vehicle that the Defendant was observed driving. Officers learned that the vehicle was stopped by Plymouth Officers at 2045, approximately 20 minutes after the theft had occurred. The Defendant and a known associate, Patrick Patton, were inside the vehicle.
The vehicle was picked up by the owner as neither the Defendant nor Patton had valid driver's license. Officers made contact with the owner of the vehicle who they learned was the Defendant's girlfriend. She was unaware that the Defendant had been using her vehicle for the purpose of prowling parking lots and she terminated their relationship. She did confirm that the Defendant had access to and was driving her vehicle. The Defendant matched the description of who K. S. Saw in the parking lot. The State requests this complaint issue as a warrant.
The Defendant is currently charged with another theft from vehicle incident in ••-CR-••-•••• with a date of offense of June 15, 2025. The Defendant and known associates are suspects in several other similar incidents. The Defendant currently has 11 criminal history points that comprise of First-Degree Manslaughter, seven Second Degree Burglary of a Dwelling cases, two Financial Transaction Card Fraud cases, and an Identity Theft Case. Those 11 points do not include his decayed First-Degree Aggravated Robbery Conviction or gross misdemeanor and misdemeanor convictions.
This is a presumptive commit.
