Joshua Anthony Saldana, 42, Hastings, and Brandon Robert Kaase, 33, Prescott, were each charged by summons with felonies stemming from the alleged break in and theft from a Nininger Township trucking business that occurred between Dec. 6-8, 2024.

According to the complaint filed Monday, a Dakota County Sheriff’s Office deputy was dispatched to the reported burglary on Dec. 8. A property manager told the deputy that the business was no longer in operation and that the door to the business office had been pried open “and the office appeared to have been ransacked,” the complaint states.

Wires reportedly were ripped out of an electrical panel and 17 aluminum wheels, two drill presses and power tools were allegedly taken. “The officer noted the damage and disarray of the scene, while also finding a window that appeared to be the initial point of entry. The officer also observed shoeprints in the dirt, which did not belong to the property manager or family,” the complaint states.

A recycling business reported to police that Kaase allegedly sold them 17 aluminum wheels on Dec. 6, and surveillance video showed him and another man delivering the wheels.

A detective learned that police in Eagan had arrested Saldana for trespassing and that he had possession of the vehicle Kaase had delivered the stolen wheels in. Eagan officers also photographed Saldana’s shoe prints, and they matched prints from the burglary scene.

A search warrant of Saldana’s cell phone yielded a text conversation between Kaase and Saldana “in which they discussed the desire to ‘do some trespassing’ and ‘illegal activities.’ Kaase and Saldana go on to specifically discuss their plan to break into the trucking business on Dec. 6, 2024, talking about their intent to steal copper wire, where and when to meet up and how to gain entry,” according to the complaint.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to five years of incarceration and fines between $3,000-$10,000.