Crime & Safety

St. Paul Man Charged in Chipotle Burglary

Andre Donnell Ellis has been charged with third-degree burglary.

Prosecutors on Thursday charged a St. Paul man who they think is one of two men who broke into on Tuesday.

Andre Donnell Ellis, 49, has been charged with third-degree burglary, a felony that carries a sentence of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Investigators learned of the Chipotle burglary Tuesday morning, Hopkins Detective Raymond Laudenbach wrote in the charging documents. Someone broke into the restaurant through a side entrance and pried open a steel office door. Cash registers were also tampered with, although there had been no money in the registers.

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Surveillance video showed two men forcing entry into the Chipotle office and trying unsuccessfully to open a safe.

Police sent photos from the video to other law enforcement agencies. Several officers identified one of the men as Ellis, who was already in jail.

Find out what's happening in Hopkinsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

In addition to the Hopkins accusation, he faces third-degree burglary charges stemming from incidents in Brooklyn Park, Bloomington and Champlin.

Ellis remains in jail. Bail has been set at $20,000.

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