Suspect in Attempted Apple Valley Armed Robbery Arrested in Hennepin County

A Minneapolis man whom police say tried to rob an Apple Valley convenience store last year with a knife was arrested Tuesday in Hennepin County. 

Alexander Charles Askelin, 23, was charged in July with first-degree aggravated attempted robbery after authorities identified him through DNA left behind on a glove. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $17,500 fine. 

Askelin remained in the Dakota County Jail on Wednesday on a $20,000 bond. He was scheduled to make a first appearance on the charge Wednesday morning.

According to the criminal complaint, Askelin entered the store on Pilot Knob Road on Feb. 23, 2010, wearing a black mask and dark clothing, brandishing a knife and ordering the clerk to give him money. 

The clerk grabbed a hammer that he kept behind the counter and chased Askelin out of the store without handing over any money, the complaint says.

When he fled, Askelin left behind a black glove, a ski mask, a knife and a knife sheath, all of which were sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension lab. Investigators determined that DNA collected from the glove matched Askelin’s DNA sample in the BCA database.

Askelin told authorities he was using heroin at the time of the attempted robbery, according to the complaint.