On or about March 2, 2026, at approximately 8:57 A.M., officers responded to the Prairie Meadows Apartment complex on Westwind Drive in Eden Prairie, Hennepin County, Minnesota. The reporting party, A. S., told officers that a tenant, W. A., had recently passed away, and A. S. Believed that W. A.’s live-in aide, TYRONE CHRISTIAN BUTLER (“Defendant” herein), broke into W. A.’s apartment unit. Officers spoke with A. S. On scene. A. S. Brought officers to W. A.’s apartment unit, and officers noticed that the door and door handle were damaged.
A. S. Stated she saw the damage to the door earlier in the morning on March 2, 2026. A. S. Told officers that she is the apartment complex manager, and she knew that Defendant had lived with W. A. Since June 2025. W. A. Passed away on February 21, 2026, and W. A.’s family requested apartment management change the locks to W. A.’s apartment because they believed Defendant was stealing from W. A. A. S. Changed the locks to W. A.’s apartment on February 25, 2026. A. S. Stated that Defendant had come to the management office on February 27, 2026 and requested to be let into W. A.’s apartment.
A. S. Told Defendant that he was not allowed inside the apartment because he was not on the lease, he was not a family member, and he was not listed as an emergency contact for W. A. Officers spoke with Defendant. Defendant told officers that he had lived in the apartment with W. A., and he had spoken to apartment management about the apartment being locked. Defendant told officers that management would not let him into the apartment, so he forced entry into the apartment to retrieve his belongings.
In a second interview, Defendant told officers that he consistently lived in the apartment, and he had clothes and other personal belongings in the apartment. He contacted apartment management and one of W. A.’s children about getting his items back, but no one would let him into the apartment. Defendant stated W. A.'s child did not answer his phone call, and apartment management told him he was not allowed into the apartment. Defendant admitted to kicking the apartment door in order to gain entry and retrieving his belongings.
Defendant told officers he did this on March 1, 2026. Defendant never called Eden Prairie police to request assistance in retrieving his belongings. Apartment management provided a copy of the receipt in the amount of $4,870.70 to repair W. A.’s apartment door.
