On January 7th, 2026, officers from the Woodbury Police Department observed suspicious activity at Settlers Storage, located at [ADDRESS REDACTED], in the City of Woodbury, within Washington County. Officers learned that several persons renting storage units in the facility had reported thefts from their units. In addition, management reported that there was a U-Haul truck on site that had been there for approximately one month and was being moved intermittently by a male they had seen in and around the facility.
Officers learned that the renter of several units in the facility was JUSTINA MARIE CLAUSEN (DOB 12-21- 1986), hereinafter Defendant CLAUSEN. Officers then learned that Defendant CLAUSEN's boyfriend, identified as CHRISTOPHER GERALD JOHNSON [DOB REDACTED], hereinafter Defendant JOHNSON, was the male that Settlers' personnel had seen moving the U-Haul. Officers then observed Defendant JOHNSON loading items and into and out of storage units and his vehicle. Officers also observed the defendant drive the U-Haul from the area of storage unit D11 to a parking spot near a large snowbank.
Officers also spoke with Defendant JOHNSON, and he confirmed that unit D11 was his storage unit. Over the next several weeks, officers developed both defendants as suspects in a large number of burglaries and thefts in the Twin Cities Metro Area and Western Wisconsin. Officers then obtained search warrants for several units at Settlers believed to be rented by either or both defendants, and executed the warrants on January 22nd, 2026. Officers located a significant amount of suspected stolen property in many of the units.
Specifically in unit D11, among other suspected stolen items, officers discovered a large amount of shotgun and rifle ammunition. It should be noted that Defendant Johnson has a prior conviction for a Crime of Violence (Controlled Substance Crime) found in Isanti County District Court file number 30-CR-16-129, which prohibits him from possessing firearms or ammunition. It was also determined that the U-Haul that management and officers had observed the defendant driving around the facility and loading items into and out of had been stolen in the City of Oakdale on December 23rd, 2025. It was also learned that the license plates had been switched several times.
Settlers management showed officers surveillance video which showed Defendant JOHNSON driving the U-haul into the facility on December 23rd, the day it was stolen. Both defendants were taken into custody, and Defendant CLAUSEN ultimately spoke with an officer related to a burglary in Western Wisconsin, where among other things, a Toyota Tacoma truck was taken. Defendant CLAUSEN admitted that she and Defendant JOHNSON had stolen the truck during the burglary. Defendant CLAUSEN further advised that they had driven the Tacoma to a warehouse area near Lake Elmo Ave and Hudson Blvd, in the City of Lake Elmo, within Washington County.
