Hopkins Man Admits to Vehicle Break-Ins

A New Hope man has admitted he took stolen items from a Hopkins man who went “car shopping”—a term the two men used for breaking into cars and stealing items inside, according to charging documents filed this week.

The pair came to officers’ attention Feb. 4 when two men told police someone had broken into their vehicles while the vehicles were parked at , Detective Renee Meuwissen wrote in charging documents filed Monday.

A laptop computer, external hard drive, sunglasses, a gold wedding ring, an iPod, a pair of prescription Oakley sunglasses and various other small electronic items were taken during the break-ins.

Investigators identified 27-year-old Charles Thomas Elverum, of Hopkins, as a suspect based on pawnshop records—which showed Elverum pawned a gold wedding ring at the Hopkins Pawn America. When police recovered the ring, the theft victim identified it as his own.

(The suspect is not related to the Hopkins economic development director of the same last name.)

Elverum admitted breaking into the two vehicles and stealing the items, according to the court documents. He said he sold some of the remaining items to 47-year-old Glenn Owen Andrew, of New Hope, for cash and methamphetamine. When officers searched the place where Elverum was staying, they found the Oakley sunglasses.

A search of Andrew’s home uncovered an iPod, flash drive and pen drives stolen from one of the vehicles hit in the theater burglary. They also found a laptop and Zune mp3 player later found to belong to a man whose vehicle was burglarized Feb. 4 or 5.

Officers got a second search warrant when they saw drug paraphernalia in plain view. That search turned up one package with .35 grams of methamphetamine and another package with .47 grams of meth.

Andrew admitted that one of the packages was his, according to the court documents. He said Elverum sold a laptop, external hard drive and an iPod to another man in the home, adding that the man later gave him the iPod. The following day, Elverum came to his house and brought him the laptop and Zune from the newly discovered robbery, Andrew said.

He admitted he knew all the items were stolen, according to the charging documents.

Elverum has been charged with aggravated theft, a felony with a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

In March, , both felonies, for breaking into a truck and stealing a wallet.

He was convicted of that crime May 3 and sentenced to spend 21 months in prison. However, the prison sentence was stayed and he was placed on probation for four years, with one of the conditions being that he must enter and complete drug court.

Andrew has been charged with receiving stolen property, a felony with a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He’s also been charged with fifth-degree drug possession, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $3,000 to $10,000 fine.

Neither man is in custody.

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