A St. Paul man arrested in Eden Prairie with a pickup truck with guns and ammo was charged with a count of third-degree burglary, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Tuesday.
25-year-old John Ross Whitaker was also charged with possession of stolen property.
St. Louis Park Police were sent to the Frontiersman gun story around 2:30 a.m. on March 9 because a security alarm was triggered, but police did not find a sign of forced entry, according to a press release by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office.
The store owner arrived and reviewed surveillance video, which revealed a man wearing all black clothing and a black mask, police said. The burglar took a Walther and an H&K 9 mm handgun, according to authorities.
The press release said he also stole about 40 boxes of ammunition and magazines.
Later on, at around 5:15 a.m. Monday, Whitaker range the doorbell of an Eden Prairie home. The homeowner recognized Whitaker as one of his patients and opened the door. The criminal complaint says Whitaker was dressed in all black and began speaking nonsense. He was also driving a light-colored U-pickup truck with U-Haul lettering and the doctor eventually called the police.
Eden Prairie Police found Whitaker near the home and saw a handgun in the left breast of his coat, according to authorities. He was arrested and officers recovered a second gun from his coat, according to the press release. The criminal complaint said both guns were loaded and matched the two stole weapons from Frontiersman.
In a search of the truck, police found a duffle bag containing a black ski mask, lock picking tools and ammunition. Two more guns were found in a backpack in the rear truck, according to authorities.
