Police seek help identifying AT&T burglar

• AT&T burgler

An onsite video camera captured AT&T before he cut the surveilance sthis image of the burglarystem wires. Police are asking for help from the public in identifying the man. Photo provided by the Cloquet Police Department
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The Cloquet Police Department released additional information on the Labor Day burglary at the Cloquet AT&T store and is asking for help from the public in identifying the burglar.

Police were able to get a basic description of the man – who broke into the cell phone store by first gaining access to the vacant store next door – taken by a video camera on site before the burglar was able to cut the wiring to the surveillance system. The break-in and burglary happened around 2 a.m. the morning of Sept. 5.

The burglar came prepared. After getting into the former Papa John’s store through the back door, the unidentified man cut through the sheet rock wall and disarm the system. He then went through the ceiling to gain entrance into a locked storage room where the phones were kept. The phone safe was pried open with tools that were brought and taken from the scene.

Police have described the perpetrator as a white male, between 5-foot-10 and 6-foot-2 tall, wearing a dark-colored jacket or sweatshirt with gray sweatpants. He was wearing a dark-colored baseball cap, possibly brown in color. A silver minivan was seen in the area during this time.

The individual stole 254 cell phones valued at over $70,000. The phones included iPhone 3, and 3GS in 8 and 16GB sizes, iPhone 4, various Samsung smart phone models, and various other brands as well as various cell phone accessories.

While the burglary at the AT&T store was the largest one in recent years to occur in Cloquet, it was one of several burglaries that have happened in the area recently, including copper thefts last month and more break-ins over the Labor Day weekend, including one at Pine Valley Covenant Church and one at Cloquet Dental in the Pine Tree Plaza. In both those cases, the person or people gained access by breaking a window. An undisclosed amount of cash was stolen from the dentist’s office as well as the church, which also reported a bass guitar missing.

On Thursday, the Scanlon City Public Works garage was entered but officials are uncertain if anything was stolen, Cloquet Police Chief Wade Lamirande said in a letter to city officials.

Cloquet Police Detective Darin Berg stated previously that police planned to reach out to law enforcement agencies in other states to let them know of the crime and what exactly was stolen. As a result, Deputy Chief Terry Hill said the Oak Park Heights, Minn. Police Department contacted Cloquet yesterday regarding a similar burglary of an AT&T store in which smart phones were taken. Hill said Cloquet police are working with Oak Park Heights to see if the two burglaries could be related.

People who may have information on these break-ins are asked to call the Cloquet Police Department at 218-879-1247. Ask for Detectives Holman, Randall or Berg.

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