St. Paul Man Charged Following Apparent Garage Burglary

A man who claimed he was checking out landscaping after a Woodbury resident approached him as he was looking into area vehicles has been charged with one felony burglary count.

Christopher Lee Berendt, 39, of St. Paul, faces up to 20 years in prison and a $35,000 fine following the incidents on April 25 in which a neighbor confronted him after he was apparently acting suspiciously.

According to the criminal complaint:

were called to the area of Traverse Road and Settlers Ridge Parkway in Woodbury on a report of a suspicious vehicle. A second, similar report came in as officers were en route.

Officers made contact with a neighborhood resident, who told them he saw a blue SUV driving north on Arden Drive, a dead end. A man got out of the SUV and began looking into his neighbors’ vehicles.

When approached, the driver—later identified as Berendt—told the resident he was checking out the landscaping in the area.

The neighbor took cell phone photos of the SUV’s license plate, and Berendt began walking down the street; police intercepted him near Middleton Trail and Settlers Ridge Parkway.

Berendt told officers he was looking at buildings under construction in the area and had been driving around to cool off after a fight with his girlfriend.

The SUV, registered to Berendt, was searched, and officers found a cell phone on the front passenger seat that had photos of a nearby resident’s driver’s license, along with that individual’s credit card.

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