An Elk River man was found sleeping inside a boarded-up Brooklyn Center building after a trail camera alerted police to a break-in, according to the complaint.
Roman Urevich Tokarev faces charges of third-degree burglary and possession of burglary or theft tools, according to a complaint filed October 16 in Hennepin County District Court. Bail was set at $20,000.
According to the complaint, at about 12:41 a.m. on October 16, Brooklyn Center officers responded to the old Sears building in Brooklyn Center after receiving a notification from a trail camera placed inside the vacant commercial property. The property owners had given police permission to install cameras to monitor for criminal activity.
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When officers arrived, they found a piece of plywood had been ripped from the building, creating an entry point into the locked structure. Officers also observed broken glass at the entry, which the complaint says indicated forced entry.
Inside the building, officers found a man sleeping. The man was identified as Roman Urevich Tokarev. Next to Tokarev, officers found a pair of bolt cutters leaned against a pole. As officers exited the building, they also saw a black crowbar lying on the ground near the shattered glass.
During a search of Tokarev, officers found what appeared to be copper pipe on his person, according to the complaint.
Tokarev is charged with third-degree burglary for allegedly entering the building without consent and intending to steal or commit a felony or gross misdemeanor. He is also charged with possession of burglary or theft tools for allegedly having bolt cutters and a crowbar at the scene.
The complaint does not mention any prior criminal history for Tokarev.
If convicted, Tokarev faces penalties on each charge as determined by state law.
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Jurisdictional Context
Hennepin County is Minnesota’s most populous jurisdiction. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 44 other cities; the Fourth Judicial District presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
