On December 29, 2025, at approximately 1:41 PM, Officer Pearson with the Rochester Police Department was dispatched to a theft report at an apartment complex located in Northwest Rochester, Olmsted County, Minnesota. Upon his arrival, he met with an adult female, fully identified in police reports (hereinafter “Manager”), who stated she is the community manager for the property. Manager stated on December 25, 2025, at approximately 12:30 AM, a suspect used a knife to enter the building. The suspect stole items from a break room and packages from a different location.
Manager stated the suspect left the apartment complex in a white cargo van. Officer Pearson reviewed the surveillance footage. He observed a suspect using a fixed blade knife to open the locked door and enter the office building at approximately 12:40 AM on December 25. The suspect left the building carrying multiple packages and other mail items. The suspect was last seen in the building at approximately 12:50 AM. Manager reported the items stolen included laptops and an iPad. Officer Pearson observed that the suspect appeared to be the same individual who committed a similar offense at a different Rochester apartment complex on December 26, 2025. On December 31, 2025, Detective Bartsch with the Rochester Police Department was assigned to this case for further investigation.
In his review, he learned that on December 1, 2025, Officer Turner with the Rochester Police Department was dispatched to a burglary and motor vehicle theft at a storage unit located in Rochester, Olmsted County, Minnesota. Upon his arrival, he discovered a transit van had been stolen out of a storage garage. The van was identical to the van used in this offense. The suspect who stole the van had arrived in a white Mazda, and the suspect was wearing a black puffy jacket and what appeared to be snowpants.
The van contained multiple identifiable tools and fishing gear. Officer Turner learned that law enforcement officers in Oakdale, Minnesota had initiated a traffic stop on a 2014 white Mazda bearing Minnesota license plate ending in 490. One of the vehicle’s occupants was ZACHARY JAMES BUNNELL, [DOB REDACTED]. During the traffic stop, officers located several tools and fishing gear that they believed to be stolen. These items were determined to be the tools that had been in the transit van stolen on December 1, 2025. On January 2, 2026, Officers with the Rochester Police Department located Bunnell near his home in Northwest Rochester, Olmsted County, Minnesota.
Officers arrested Bunnell for his suspected role in the aforementioned incidents and transported him to the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center (ADC). At the ADC, Bunnell asked to speak with a detective about the offenses he had committed, and Detective Bartsch met with Bunnell. In a Mirandized statement, Bunnell told Detective Bartsch that he had seen items in the garage before he burglarized it and stole the van, and he knew the garage had tools he intended to steal. He stated he did not originally intend to steal the van, but the keys were in the van, so he stole it. 2 55-CR-26-91 Filed in District Court State of Minnesota 1/5/2026 Bunnell told Detective Bartsch that he uses a knife to pop open doors when he breaks into places.
