On May 6, 2024, at approximately 4:40 AM, St. Joseph Police Officers responded to Kwik Trip located on 20th Avenue Southeast in the City of St. Joseph, County of Stearns, State of Minnesota, for a stolen vehicle. Officers learned that an employee of Astech, J. J. T., an adult fully identified in reports, parked a company-owned vehicle at the gas pumps and went in the store. The vehicle, later identified as a 2014 Ford F350 bearing Minnesota license plate [PLATE REDACTED], was stolen while J. J. T. Was inside the store.
Officer Vossen reviewed surveillance video and observed a male wearing a red t-shirt with white markings on the front, black pants, and dark colored shoes approach the store, run to the vehicle, and flee. The vehicle, which was valued at approximately $20,000, was later located damaged and unoccupied in a wooded area off 91st Avenue. Officers swabbed the vehicle for DNA and sent the swabs to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) for testing. The BCA reported an unidentified major male DNA profile was present on the steering wheel.
The profile was searched through the Minnesota Convicted Offender DNA Database and matched the DNA profile of Brett Alan Carlson, [DOB REDACTED], the defendant herein. A known DNA sample was obtained from the defendant pursuant to a signed search warrant and submitted to the BCA for additional testing. The BCA confirmed the major male DNA profile from the steering wheel matched the defendant. Officer Vossen spoke with Astech employee D. H. W., an adult fully identified in reports, and learned the defendant has never been employed by Astech.
Officer Vossen also learned that Officers Manderscheid and Milostan had contact with the defendant two separate times on May 7, 2024, one day after the vehicle was stolen. Officer Vossen reviewed body worn camera video from the contacts and observed the defendant was wearing a red t-shirt with white letters, black pants, and dark colored shoes. The defendant appeared to be bald or near bald, consistent with the male seen in the surveillance video. Complainant has reason to believe and does believe that all of the above information is true and correct.
The above facts constitute your complainant's basis for believing that the above-named defendant, on or about the 6th day of May, 2024, in the City of St. Joseph, County of Stearns, State of Minnesota, committed the offenses described herein.
