A 41-year-old man already locked up over an alleged snow-removal equipment caper at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is now accused of pulling off a sweeping storage-unit burglary in Plymouth that investigators say netted roughly $286,000 in tools and gear. Prosecutors say court filings and surveillance video connect the suspect to multiple break-ins at an Extra Space Storage facility in the west metro city.
Police launched their investigation in November after reports of break-ins at five separate units at the Plymouth Extra Space Storage site, according to Bring Me The News. Surveillance footage from Nov. 15 reportedly shows two masked men loading items into a white Ford Econoline van, and the two red Milwaukee tool chests seen in the video were later recovered from a storage unit tied to the suspect. The complaint lists roughly $286,000 in stolen professional power tools, pressure-washing and painting equipment, photography lighting, and computer hardware.
A Long Criminal History
The defendant, identified in court documents as 41-year-old James Allen Hage, is no stranger to theft cases, with prior coverage indicating he has dozens of convictions stretching back years, many for property and vehicle crimes, according to Alpha News. That reporting details earlier arrests for auto thefts and multiple felony counts, a context that prosecutors point to in the latest complaint.
Evidence Linking Him To The Scene
Investigators say cellphone records placed Hage at the Plymouth storage site while the burglaries were underway and then tracked him driving back to his Brooklyn Park storage unit with the stolen goods, according to the complaint described by Bring Me The News. After obtaining a search warrant for that Brooklyn Park unit, officers say they recovered additional items they allege came from the Plymouth break-ins, including the two red Milwaukee tool chests seen on the surveillance footage. Hage was already in the Hennepin County jail on separate charges that include the alleged theft of two trucks with snowplows attached and a 2003 CAT skid steer.
What's Next
Hage remains in custody and is due back in Hennepin County court on May 7 on the new burglary and theft counts. Prosecutors are still cataloging recovered property and notifying owners as the investigation continues. If he is convicted on multiple burglary and theft charges, he could face significant prison time under Minnesota law.
