Man charged in liquor store robbery

• Mrosla

Mrosla

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A Carlton man made his first appearance Tuesday in Carlton County Court in connection with an armed robbery at a Carlton liquor store over the weekend.

Paul Duane Mrosla, 24, faces charges of felony aggravated robbery in the first degree, felony assault in the second degree and felony terroristic threats.

According to the criminal complaint:

Just before 10 p.m. Saturday, Carlton County 911 received a call from the clerk at Tall Pines Liquor, 1650 Highway 210, reporting an armed robbery.

Law enforcement arrived and closed off the parking lot of the liquor store where they observed fresh footprints leaving the liquor store going eastbound towards the Ulland Brothers business adjacent to the store.

The store cashier advised officers he had been robbed by an adult male, approximately 6 feet tall and 180 pounds, who entered the business and brandished a knife, telling the victim he was robbing the store and demanding money from the till.

The victim told the officers he had seen a vehicle in the parking lot on three separate occasions prior to the actual robbery. Because the vehicle did not stop and no one came into the store, he thought it was suspicious, so he got a description of the vehicle and wrote down the license plate number, which he shared with law enforcement officials.

Because of the actions of the victim, officers were able to locate the car and a person matching the description, Paul Duane Mrosla. When he was arrested, officers also found the matching clothing as well as the knife used in the robbery. In addition, they found $522.

The owner of the business confirmed that between $450 and $600 had been taken from the store.

According to the complaint, officers interviewed Mrosla and, after speaking with officers for a period of time, he allegedly broke down and told them he did it.

During the investigation, the Carlton County Sheriff’s Department was assisted by officers from the Minnesota State Patrol, Fond du Lac Police Department and the Cloquet Police Department.

Mrosla had previously pleaded guilty in 2008 to petty misdemeanor charges of drug paraphernalia possession and possession of a small amount of marijuana.

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