ST PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul police say they have made an arrest in the burglary of local craft pub The Gnome.
Owner Brian Ingram spoke to KARE 11 on Sunday, Feb. 7 about multiple burglaries of his restaurant and others in the neighborhood.
"Our office got broken into a week ago, car jackings literally outside of our front door, the Ace Hardware was broken into, Tony's Pizzeria and Cheesesteaks broken into. All of us are being affected by this," Ingram said.
After another break-in early Sunday morning, during which the criminals took a safe, Ingram made a video on social media, asking elected officials to "do something."
"What really upsets me more than anything, is the complete crickets, the complete lack of silence from our elected officials that are supposed to protect us," Ingram said in the video.
"We call our police chief, we call our police, and they're telling us, 'We need help; we need our judges to one – put people in jail when COVID is going on, we need our prosecutors to help us,'" Ingram said. "Most of these career criminals – they know who they are."
On Friday, Feb. 12, St. Paul police said on Twitter that they made an arrest in "recent burglaries." An investigator identified a suspect in the Jan. 24 burglary of the Gnome, police reported, and issued a "pick-up," which was sent to law enforcement partners.
The department went on to say that "the case is a great example of the unwavering commitment our officers and investigators have to serving the people who live and work in Saint Paul--especially crime victims."
Police have forwarded the case against the 57-year-old man to the Ramsey County Attorney's Office, but no charges have yet been filed.
Ingram said the crime has affected every part of his business, including staff who have called to tell him they do not feel comfortable working a nightshift.
"That's a super scary thing for a lot of people," he said. "We're hearing it from our staff from reservations that are canceling, that's probably the most difficult thing."
In terms of St Paul's budget, the police department is expected to take a cut of about $800,000 from the previous year, according to the city.
Mayor Melvin Carter said in a statement that reads in part:
"I am working closely with impacted community members and Police Department leadership alike to adjust our public safety strategies to meet this unprecedented moment."
As for Ingram, as someone who works in the shadow of a cathedral, and as a man of faith who has served more than 100,000 meals at his community kitchen free of charge, he said he's hoping some line of communication will open to all parties. He said he wants to participate in a conversation on just how to address this issue.
"I'm so sad," he said. "It sounds really weird, it's not a 'Holier than thou' thing. We give back because that's what we're called to do. But it's heartbreaking."