A Melrose man was arrested Aug. 9 for suspicion of theft and fleeing police, among other charges, after he was caught on surveillance stealing tools from a St. Augusta construction site.
On Aug. 9, at approximately 1:59 a.m., Stearns County Deputies were dispatched to a call of suspicious activity at a construction site on CR 136 in the City of St. Augusta. The owner of the construction equipment called into dispatch, stating he had observed a truck and a man at the construction site via surveillance cameras.
A Stearns County Deputy arrived at the scene, where he located the truck and saw the license plates were covered. He also noticed an enclosed trailer nearby with its side door open. A short time later, a man appeared from behind the trailer. As the deputy made contact with the man, he began to flee on foot. A second deputy arrived shortly after and pursued the man through a field and into a wooded area where he was caught and taken into custody a short time later. Deputies immediately recognized the man as Jimmy Ray Issac Ansiel, 36, of Melrose.
Through further investigation, it appeared Ansiel had broken into the enclosed trailer and loaded up approximately $3,650 worth of tools and equipment into his truck. Ansiel was transported to the Stearns County Jail where he was charged with felony theft, felony possession of burglary/theft tools, misdemeanor criminal damage to property and misdemeanor fleeing on foot.
The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office was assisted on scene by the Waite Park and the Cold Spring police departments.
