Eden Prairie Man Charged with Stealing $20 from 80-Year-Old Victim

An Eden Prairie man has been charged with snatching a wallet from an 80-year-old man at a bank in Brooklyn Center.

Wayne Andre Delorius Falkner, 32, is charged with theft from a person, a felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, signed by Brooklyn Center Police Detective Mona Pearson, police were called to Endura Bank on Sept. 8 to investigate a reported theft.

Police spoke to the 80-year-old victim, who said he and his wife went to the bank to get money from the ATM. As he was counting the cash, the victim said, a man later identified as Falkner approached, snatched his billfold and walked out of the bank.

The victim followed Falkner, asking him to give his money back; Falkner removed the victim’s money from the wallet, threw it on the floor, jumped into a vehicle and fled the area, according to the complaint.

Police tracked down Falkner and arrested him. He admitted that he had grabbed the victim’s wallet and fled with it, telling police that he gave the wallet back after removing $20 in cash from it, the complaint charges.

Falkner has been released from custody on a $10,000 bond. An omnibus hearing in his case is scheduled Dec. 3 in Hennepin County District Court.