Thieves steal $1,300 from The Gnome in St. Paul, owner says
Police are investigating after the owner of a St. Paul restaurant said thieves broke in and stole $1,300 Sunday morning.
St. Paul police say officers responded to The Gnome on Selby Avenue and Mackubin Street North around 9 a.m. Sunday. The owner said the restaurant was burglarized at around 4 a.m.
The owner, Brian Ingram, said the thieves pulled a window out of the building. Staff members were working downstairs at the time, and the thieves broke into the liquor rooms and offices to saw open safes, he said.
Ingram says this is the second break-in at The Gnome this year and estimates the damage from this one will cost about $18,000.
"Talking about crime is hard on a business. You're afraid of scaring away your customers. Afraid of being criticized. Afraid someone will turn your anger into politics when all you're trying to do is protect your people," said Ingram.
He's frustrated because it's happened for years. St. Paul police catch the perpetrators, but no charges are filed. After cases are dropped, he sometimes gets a letter from the Ramsey County Attorney's office.
"The top sentence literally says, 'In the interest of justice, we've decided not to press charges.' In the interest of justice, who? It's not for me, it's not for our staff," said Ingram.
Ingram is asking the county attorney to take action.
"Stop making excuses for the criminals and hold them accountable," said Ingram.
The Ramsey County attorney says it had the man charged in one of Ingram's break-ins evaluated, and each time he was found incompetent to stand trial, and that "after years of evaluations and attempts at restoration, the court concluded there is no reasonable probability (he) will become competent in the foreseeable future."
A statement goes on to say, "The Ramsey County Attorney's Office argued against dismissing his most recent case and urged the court to maintain supervision over him."
Ingram is afraid unless something changes, the cycle will continue.
"When there's no consequences and you have an opportunity to make some money, they're going to continue to do it," he said.
On Tuesday, St. Paul police arrested and charged a 29-year-old man in connection with the burglary at The Gnome in addition to an attempted burglary at The Lexington on Grand Avenue.
