Two Charged with Burglarizing National Camera in Golden Valley

Two St. Paul men have been charged with breaking into a Golden Valley store, then fleeing police with almost $26,000 worth of merchandise in their car.

Travail Adam Crumble, 25, and Keith Dawson, 26, each are charged with two felonies in the June 23 incident: third-degree burglary, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, and fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, which has a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, signed by Detective Kristin Hoefling, police responded to an alarm at at 9300 Olson Memorial Highway just after 12:30 a.m. June 23.

When they arrived, officers saw a maroon Chevrolet Impala driving away from the store’s back parking lot. They turned on their overhead lights and siren and ordered the car to stop; the driver refused to stop and performed “evasive maneuvers” for more than a mile before stopping on northbound Highway 169, the complaint says.

The four men inside the car fled on foot, but police were able to apprehend Crumble and Dawson.

A subsequent search of the car turned up four 35-millimeter cameras, 10 digital single-lens reflex cameras, six digital cameras and 30 camera lenses of varying lengths, according to the complaint. A manager at National Camera said the items were store inventory, valued at $25,900.

The burglary was captured on surveillance video.

Crumble’s criminal record includes convictions in 2005 for theft to benefit a gang, in 2006 for committing a crime to benefit a gang and in 2009 for theft of property valued at more than $5,000.

Dawson was convicted in 2004 and 2009 of receiving stolen property and in 2010 of check forgery and car theft.

Both men are free on separate $20,000 bonds. Omnibus hearings in their cases are scheduled Aug. 1 in Hennepin County District Court.