Man Loitering in Lakeville Neighborhood Arrested With Stolen Car

A man with previous convictions for burglary and theft was arrested on March 31 after found him with a stolen car and lies about why he was milling about a Lakeville neighborhood.

Jesse Roy Magnuson, 30, of White Bear Lake, told police he was loitering in a Lakeville neighborhood because he was taking a walk to clear his head after visiting a friend who lived nearby, according to .

Police originally responded to a call from a neighbor who reported seeing a suspicious male—which turned out to be Magnuson—peering at homes and checking out parked cars while walking around the neighborhood.

When Lakeville police first arrived, Magnuson told police he lived in Burnsville and was just visiting a friend in the area. But the complaint says Magnuson's story was vague and kept changing. Finally, after noticing he appeared nervous and sweaty, officers offered to drive Magnuson back to his friend's home. Before putting him in the squad, he was pat-down—a typical procedure, the complaint said—and a key with a Jeep logo was found on his pocket.

When officers arrived with Magnuson at a nearby apartment building, they noticed a Jeep Grand Cherokee parked along the curb. Magnuson denied it was his vehicle, the complaint says, and officers proceeded to the apartment and unit number where Magnuson said he was visiting.

When officers arrived at the unit, a woman answered the door and said she didn't know Magnuson and denied he was staying there or visiting.

Upon leaving the apartment, Magnuson admitted to police he wasn't staying at the apartment or anywhere else in Lakeville. Meanwhile, another officer responded to the apartment unit and ran a computer check on the Jeep. Police discovered it had been reported as stolen on March 18, and the license plates on the vehicles were also stolen, the complaint said.

Magnuson was brought to the Jeep by police, and the key in his pocket opened the door. Inside the Jeep was personal property belonging to Magnuson.

According to the complaint, Magnuson claimed he borrowed the Jeep from a friend who was also a drug dealer, and said he didn't know the Jeep was stolen.

He claimed he was simply out for a walk in Lakeville after spending most of the night at Mystic Lake Casino.

He was charged in Dakota County with two counts of receiving stolen property, both felonies. His next court appearance is slated for later this month.