On March 23, 2026, at approximately 12:37 A.M., Saint Paul Officers were dispatched to The Black Hart of Saint Paul, 1415 University, Saint Paul, County of Ramsey, on a report of a bomb threat. Officer Osman arrived and spoke with the complainant, BJ, who was the bartender for the night and the only employee on scene at the time of the call. BJ said while working, she received a phone call at 12:21 A.M. N the main landline for the bar [PHONE REDACTED]) from telephone number [PHONE REDACTED]. When she answered the call, the suspect said, “Someone’s gonna blow up your bar tonight.” The caller then disconnected the call.
BJ believed the voice was a younger male, but she did not recognize the voice or the telephone number. Dispatch advised there is a history link with the telephone number to JOSHUA ROBERT MCELLIS, [DOB REDACTED]. BP was shown MCELLIS’s driver’s license photo. BP said she recognized MCELLIS. She said MCELLIS frequents the bar, and is usually quiet. BP said the only notable issue with MCELLIS is that he occasionally drinks too much and gets kicked out of the bar. BP said she did not recall seeing MCELLIS at the bar on March 22, 2026. The owner of The Black Hart is WB. He was not at the bar when the threat was received.
He arrived at the bar shortly before police arrival. Sgt. Mayavski researched the phone number [PHONE REDACTED] in Clear database. The phone number listed to MCELLIS. Sgt. Mayavski went to MCELLIS’s listed address on Otto Avenue, Saint Paul on March 24, 2026. No one answered the door. Sgt. Mayavski left a business card. On March 25, 2026, Sgt. Mayavski received a phone call from LS, MCELLIS’s mother. When advised about the reason for his visit, LS said MCELLIS is mentally ill and that when he drinks, he lashes out through phone or text messages.
LS said that she did not think MCELLIS had been to The Black Hart in over a year. She recalled he had been cut off from drinking there. LP verified that MCELLIS was still using the telephone number [PHONE REDACTED]. Sgt. Mayavski sent an administrative subpoena to Verizon for the telephone number [PHONE REDACTED]. The call records showed the phone number [PHONE REDACTED] placed a phone call to [PHONE REDACTED] (telephone number for The Black Hart) on March 23, 2026 at 12:21 A.M. The telephone call was six seconds in length.
