Centerville man charged in $105,000 theft of scissor lift and trailer
By Crime Watch MN, January 11, 2022
In December we received a copy of a video that showed the theft of a tree trimming scissor lift and trailer from a small business in Spring Lake Park.
Information we received from our source at the time stated that the theft occurred on Monday, Dec. 20 at approximately 4 a.m. The lift and trailer were parked at a lot in Spring Lake Park on Old Central Avenue Northeast with a wheel-lock boot on the trailer. The thieves pulled the trailer out with the boot still on the wheel, then realized what was happening and cut it off with a Sawzall. The tire may have been flat at that point, the source said.
Jacob Charles Dutton, 38, of Centerville MN has now been charged in connection to the theft.
A charging document states that police received a tip on Dec. 22 reporting that Dutton had been bragging about stealing the trailer from the business with the help of another man.
Police learned that Dutton’s business, Bartlett Painting, had a white Chevrolet cargo van registered to it, and that Dutton has had multiple police contacts in the white cargo van.
Court documents show that Dutton was charged by warrant in the case on Dec. 28, 2021 with one felony count of theft of property valued over $5,000. Documents state that the lift is valued at $98,000 and the trailer at $7,000.
Records also indicate that Dutton was in custody on a warrant stemming from another case when the theft warrant was served two days later on Dec. 30. However, a $25,000 bond has been posted since then and Dutton no longer appears to be in custody.
Dutton is scheduled to make his next Anoka County court appearance in the theft case on Jan. 20.
It’s unclear from the court documents whether the lift and trailer have been found yet.
Dutton also has other open cases including one in Anoka County for violation of a restraining order, and a Washington County case in which he’s charged with theft.
Dutton’s prior convictions include felony burglary and three felony narcotics convictions, along with several driving after revocation, theft and DWI.
Follow us here on Patreon as we continue to follow developments in the lift and trailer theft case.
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