John Albert Gerst

On May 23, 2026, at 0113 hours, St. Paul police officers responded to an alarm call at the Holiday Gas Station, 500 7th Street East, St. Paul, Ramsey County. They saw John Albert Gerst, [DOB REDACTED], and Terry Rice, [DOB REDACTED], were standing in front of the building near the entrance. Gerst was moving signs to cover something by the door. Investigation revealed that there was a large rock on the ground which was obscured by the signs. There was damage to the locking mechanism on the door. Video showed both Gerst and Rice trying to break into the building by kicking the door and slamming the large rock into the metal door handle.

In a post-Miranda interview, Rice said that Gerst asked him to get the rock so they could get inside. He said Gerst told him that he worked there. In a post-Miranda interview, Gerst said that he is homeless and unemployed. He said he was trying to fix the things that Rice had broken. He said he was trying to secure the building.