Two Inver Grove Heights men face charges of burglary, aggravated robbery and theft after they allegedly smacked an acquaintance on the head with a battle-ax, lifted some of his tools and then drove off in a stolen truck.
Jacob Robert Anhalt, 22, and Randy Allen Knight, 31, were each charged last week in Dakota County District Court for their alleged roles in the Dec. 21 setup that left the victim taped to a Foosball table with a head wound. Each suspect was charged with two counts of burglary in the first degree and single counts of aggravated robbery in the first degree and theft.
According to the criminal complaint, Anhalt called the victim, identified only as M.J. in the complaint, and made arrangements to show up at M.J.'s Inver Grove Heights home.
Anhalt went over a short time later and knocked on M.J.'s back door, the complaint said. M.J. unlocked the door and let Anhalt in. The two then went into the living room.
Two masked men then rushed in through the unlocked back door and confronted Anhalt and M.J., according to the complaint. The masked men were armed with a large sword and a large battle-ax and ordered Anhalt and M.J. to get on the floor.
ADVERTISEMENT
The man with the ax then pushed M.J. to the floor and hit him on the back of the head with the weapon. M.J. saw Anhalt run from the house at the same time, the complaint said.
Bleeding and on the floor, M.J. watched the sword-carrying crook rummage through the house looking for valuables. The
ax-wielding man stood guard and asked M.J., "Where's the valuables? I don't want to leave with a body part," the complaint said.
The men took four rings off M.J.'s fingers, demanded his cell phone and then used duct tape to tape him to a Foosball table, according to the complaint.
After an hour, M.J. was able to tip over the table, free himself and call police. When officers arrived, they found M.J. with dried blood on his face and head. M.J. noticed that two cordless drills, an electric saw, keys and a friend's truck were missing, the complaint said.
Police located the truck in Cottage Grove. Knight was driving and Anhalt was a passenger. Both were arrested.
During questioning, Anhalt told police that he set up the robbery and that Knight and a third man, "Dustin," carried it out, according to the complaint. Anhalt told investigators he had no idea the two other men would hurt M.J. or that they would be carrying weapons.
According to the complaint, Knight told police he knew nothing about the robbery and was only in the truck because he was helping Anhalt fix it.
ADVERTISEMENT
Anhalt and Knight were in the Dakota County Jail on Monday, awaiting omnibus hearings in early January. Inver Grove Heights police are still looking for suspects in the case.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
