Melrose Man Arrested After Alleged Construction Site Theft in St. Augusta

(KNSI) – A Melrose man was arrested early Friday morning after allegedly breaking into a construction trailer and stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of tools and equipment in St. Augusta.

Jimmy Ray Issac Ansiel was taken into custody around 2:00 a.m. on August 9th following a brief foot chase that ended with him hiding in tall grass near a construction site on County Road 136. The incident began when a construction equipment owner spotted suspicious activity at the site through surveillance cameras and contacted the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office. The caller reported that someone had arrived at the construction site and tampered with his surveillance camera.

When a Stearns County deputy arrived at the scene, he discovered a pickup truck parked next to an enclosed trailer. The truck’s license plates were covered with plastic bags, the lights were on inside the home under construction, and the trailer’s side door was open.

As officers checked for suspects, Ansiel emerged from behind the trailer and walked toward the pickup truck. When the deputy ordered him to stop, Ansiel initially complied but then fled on foot. A second deputy, who had just arrived on scene, chased Ansiel and found him lying in tall grass attempting to hide.

When the owner arrived, he discovered that someone had completely broken off the lock on his trailer, which he said had been previously tampered with. He saw several of his tools and equipment loaded in the back of Ansiel’s pickup truck, with other items stacked outside the trailer, apparently ready to be loaded into the truck. The owner estimated the total value of stolen items at $3,650, plus approximately $25 to replace the damaged lock.

During a search of Ansiel, deputies found several Sawzall blades and a chisel tool in his sweatshirt pocket. Officers also discovered a bolt cutter in the pickup truck’s bed and two cordless grinders in the cab that did not belong to the owner.

After removing the plastic bags covering the license plates, officers determined the pickup truck was registered to Ansiel’s mother.

Ansiel was taken to the Stearns County Jail and appeared in court on Monday, where he was charged with felony theft, felony possession of burglary/theft tools, misdemeanor criminal damage to property, and misdemeanor fleeing on foot. His next court date hasn’t been set.

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