Crime & Safety

Man Who Allegedly Stole Cell Phone From Lakeville Store Tased

Dennis Braselman of Rosemount is charged with felony theft and property damage in Dakota County.

A Rosemount man faces theft and property damage charges after police say he allegedly stole cell phones and tablets from stores in Apple Valley and Lakeville, and at one point was Tasered as he ran from police.

Dennis Braselman, 20, is charged in Dakota County with felony theft and felony first-degree criminal damage to property, as well as with fleeing not in a motor vehicle and giving a false name to officers, both misdemeanors.

According to the criminal complaint, responded on Jan. 31 to a call from a Lakeville cellular store that a man, later allegedly identified as Braselman, had ripped a $900 iPhone from a display and run from the store, also causing $2,000 in damage to the display case.

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Police saw a man who matched the employee's description walking in the area, the complaint says, and when they told him to stop he allegedly ran through several yards until he reached a fence he couldn't jump.

The complaint says police then used a Taser on Braselman because he wouldn't cooperate; he allegedly told police his name was Dennis Smith.

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Later, Braselman allegedly gave police a statement admitting that theft and an attempted theft of a Verizon Zoom Pad from an Apple Valley store the day before, the complaint says.

 on Jan. 30 also had responded to a call from an Apple Valley cellular store that a man matching Braselman's description had ripped a $380 phone from the display and ran from the store, according to the complaint.

An omnibus hearing for Braselman is scheduled for Feb. 28 in Dakota County District Court. The maximum penalty for the combined charges is 10.5 years in prison and a $22,000 fine.


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