Man Charged with Trying to Rob Apple Valley Store at Knifepoint

A Minneapolis man has been charged with attempted robbery after authorities say he tried to rob an Apple Valley store with a knife last year but was foiled by a clerk wielding a hammer—and by DNA evidence that he left behind.

Alexander Charles Askelin, 23, is charged with attempted first-degree aggravated robbery, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $17,500 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, Askelin entered the store on Pilot Knob Road just after 10 p.m. on Feb. 23, 2010, wearing a black mask and dark clothing. Askelin brandished a knife and told the clerk, “Give me the money,” the complaint says.

The clerk grabbed a hammer that he kept behind the counter and chased Askelin out of the store without surrendering any money or merchandise, according to the complaint.

When Apple Valley police arrived, they found a black glove, a ski mask, a knife and a knife sheath left behind by the suspect. The items were sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s (BCA) lab.

In May, Apple Valley authorities learned that DNA collected from the glove matched Askelin’s DNA sample in the BCA’s database.

An officer contacted Askelin and confronted him with the DNA evidence. Askelin said he had attempted to rob the store with a knife, and that the clerk had chased him out of the store, the complaint says. He told police he was using heroin at the time, according to the complaint.