Burger Burglar: Man breaks in, sleeps, steals from hamburger joint, say St. Paul cops
MINNEAPOLIS - Police say a burglar spent the night in a hamburger restaurant waiting to steal from the joint, reports CBS Minnesota..
At 3 a.m. Wednesday, St. Paul squads responded to an alarm at Burger Moe's. The restaurant's owner reportedly told police his surveillance system showed a man stealing a laptop and tablet.
Officers couldn't find anyone inside, but they say a man a few blocks away told them someone had just walked by trying to sell him a laptop.
According to CBS Minnesota, police caught up with Tai Nguyen around the corner at the transit station, and he allegedly told them that he went into Burger Moe's when it was open, fell asleep in the basement and waited to take the electronics. But that wasn't all.
Police say this isn't the first time Nguyen had slept at Burger Moe's. Two weeks ago, when an employee came to open the restaurant for the day, he spotted Nygen in the entryway, locked inside.
That case wasn't reported to police. A few hours passed that day before the restaurant reportedly realized Nguyen had taken a tablet.
The owner did say his employees will be taking a better look in the basement from now on.
Nguyen reportedly has a history of burglarizing downtown St. Paul businesses. This is the fourth time he's been charged within the last four years.
In this latest case, he faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.