2 Men Charged After Break-In at Saint Paul Apartment Building
BY MN CRIME STAFF
Two men are charged in connection with a late-night burglary at a Saint Paul apartment building, where they allegedly forced entry into secured areas and left with stolen property.
They are each charged with first-degree burglary of an occupied dwelling, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
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According to the criminal complaints, the incident happened just after 12:50 a.m. on Dec. 6 at an apartment building on the 700 block of Hamline Avenue in Saint Paul. Investigators say Kevin Dennis Hass, 37, of Saint Paul Park, and Ronald Darrell Vezina Jr., 49, of Saint Paul, waited inside the building’s vestibule until a woman arrived and entered, then followed her inside without consent. The woman reportedly looked back at the men with suspicion as they entered behind her.
Once inside, the two men loitered in the lobby and examined packages along with other items. Vezina allegedly used a pry bar or screwdriver in an attempt to break into a rent payment box. The complaints state that the men then checked for anyone nearby before moving into a community room, where Vezina forced entry into an office.
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Prosecutors say Hass left the office carrying what appeared to be a laptop computer bag while Vezina exited with a blue bag. The Public Housing Agency later reported that the damage to the office door totaled $980.
Hass was arrested on Dec. 9 and agreed to speak with police. According to the complaint, he claimed he was at his Apple Valley apartment at the time of the burglary. Court records outlined by prosecutors show Hass has four prior felony convictions, including stalking, a violation of an order for protection, theft and theft of a motor vehicle. The complaint also notes Hass has had 14 bench warrants over the past three years, yet had been released on his own recognizance in October in an unrelated felony theft case. Hass made an initial court appearance in this case last week and bail was set at $50,000.
Prosecutors state Vezina has 11 prior felony convictions dating back to 1996. His bail was also set at $50,000.
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