NORTHFIELD, Minn. (WCCO) – A 30-year-old man has been charged with breaking into multiple homes in Northfield, burgling the residences and killing three dogs.
According to the criminal complaint filed in Rice County, police were called to the home on the 700 block of College Street just after noon on May 8. The residents said they found their two mini schnauzers dead.
Police said one of the dogs died as a result of blunt force trauma and possibly had been strangled, and the other had wounds consistent with having been stabbed.
The residents said that a Mac computer had been stolen, as well as an Amazon Kindle. There was also a bag of quarters missing. The residents were saving the state quarters for their grandchildren, the complaint says.
Police say one witness saw a man standing outside the residence earlier on May 8. The witness said she heard the dogs barking and went to the house. She said the man would not look at her while talking, and asked if she had seen his cat Blinker.
Another witness reported seeing the man riding a silver-colored bicycle, and was wearing black riding gloves. He was described as a white male in his late 20s with curly brown hair.
On May 9, police were alerted to a man resembling the man witnesses saw on the day before. He told another person that he was looking for his cat, and that he had sores on his neck and forearms. He had been there multiple times, the witness said, and appeared nervous and shaky.
That same day, police were summoned to a home on the 200 block of East 6th Street, where a homeowner reported finding her Chinese crested powder puff dog dead. The dog was killed from blunt force trauma. The homeowner said a white canvas bag had been found out of place.
Police began canvassing the neighborhood and located Matthew David Jensen, of Northfield. He admitted to prowling the neighborhood to find his cat. Police searched his residence, which they said smelled of marijuana.
Jensen admitted he had just used heroin and started crying, “This one … this can send me up for a long time.” He said he “thought he was done with all of this trouble.”
He is charged with seven counts of burglary, torture of animals, and fifth-degree controlled substances.
