A Minneapolis man was sentenced to five years’ probation in Pierce County Circuit Court Monday, Oct. 4 in relation to an October 2020 burglary attempt at Langer’s Bar. He was also ordered to pay more than $4,000 in restitution. If he violates his probation, he will be sent to prison for five years.

Bryan Michael Penrose, 36, formerly of Hastings, Minn., was convicted of felony burglary – building or dwelling and felony criminal damage to property (over $2,500), sentenced to five years’ probation, fined $1,036 and ordered to pay $4,515.50 in restitution Oct. 4. A felony criminal damage to property charge (over $2,500) was read-in but dismissed. Felony possession of burglarious tools and possess drug paraphernalia charges were dismissed. He has resided at MN Adult & Teen Challenge in Minneapolis since March 2021.

According to the complaint: When an officer first responded to a business alarm at 4:39 a.m. Oct. 24, 2020 at Langer’s Bar (N5330 387th St., Ellsworth) in the town of El Paso, the building was secure and no vehicles were present. However, the alarm company reported at 5:41 a.m. an additional alarm showing front door motion.

This time when an officer arrived, they could see a white GMC pickup with Minnesota plates parked in front of the bar’s west door, which was locked. No one was in the truck or appeared to be around. When the officer looked in a window, a red bolt cutter could be seen lying on the floor in front of an ATM and a tool was wedged in the ATM’s door, which was ajar. Dispatch then informed the officer the license plate belonged to a vehicle stolen from Hastings, Minn.

When more officers arrived on scene, one noticed the bar’s rear door was ajar. While one officer made sure no one was in the pickup, they heard another officer yell from the building’s northeast corner, where he was ordering a man to the ground. The suspect had been crouching between the stairs and the shed on the bar’s north side. The suspect refused to answer if anyone was with him as he was handcuffed. The Pierce County K-9 made sure no one else was in the building.

The man told officers his name was Bryan and they placed him in the squad to keep warm. They identified him by a driver’s license found lying on the trucks’ floor board. After bringing Penrose to the jail, police discovered a second license plate under the first on the truck, registered to a man in Montevideo, Minn. Via phone, the Montevideo man told police he had sold the truck to Penrose a month prior. He had been receiving notices that the pickup was involved in several gas drive-off incidents in Red Wing and Hastings.

When officers went through the bar with the owner, they found the southside French doors had been kicked in (damage estimated at $2,100). The ATM had extensive damage to the outer door and lock panel, where a 4-foot-long pry bar was sticking out. The ATM’s owner said the machine is worth $3,400 and would not be salvageable, even though the suspect hadn’t fully broken into it. The alarm system had circuit box damage where it had been pried open and wires pulled out.

Items found at the scene included a wrecking bar, a 24inch red bolt cutter and a glass pipe with methamphetamine residue inside. Nothing else was missing or wrecked in the bar.