Hibbing man faces charges in Thomson Township burglary

• Lushenko

Lushenko

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A Hibbing man has been charged with first-degree felony burglary, third-degree felony assault, gross misdemeanor interference with an emergency call and misdemeanor receiving stolen property following an incident in Thomson Township last Thursday.

William Peter Lushenko, 44, was formally charged before Judge Robert Macaulay in Carlton County Court on Monday. At that time, he applied for and was granted a public defender.

Judge Macaulay set bail at $30,000 bond or $3,000 cash and imposed a no contact order. Lushenko requested that Macaulay consider lowering that bail amount, but since Lushenko is believed to be responsible for burglaries in neighboring jurisdictions as well, the judge denied that request. He is currently being held at the Carlton County Jail.

According to the complaint filed in the case, at approximately 12:10 p.m. on Jan. 24, Carlton County Dispatch received a call regarding a burglary in progress in the 200 block of Canosia Road in Thomson Township.

Officers arrived and found the homeowner struggling with an intruder, later identified as Lushenko. The homeowner informed officers that he had been in the basement of his home when he heard a faint knock on his front door. A short time later he walked upstairs and found Lushenko in his daughter’s bedroom.

As the homeowner called 911, Lushenko began punching him, but the homeowner was able to hold Lushenko down until officers arrived. Following the incident, the homeowner reported that he had likely broken his hand in the altercation with Lushenko.

At that point, Lushenko admitted to entering the home and also admitted to having stolen license plates on his truck, which was found outside the home in the driveway.

Officers also found a box of coins in Lushenko’s truck which had been reported stolen out of a home in Hibbing.

Lushenko is now scheduled for an omnibus hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 9 a.m.

Tags: carlton county, news, crime