Man Charged with Toilet Tampering, Felony Theft

A Farmington man has been accused of plundering toilets in at least three Eagan restaurants. The booty? Metal piping. 

Mikael Jereld Carlson, 32, has been charged with felony theft for the alleged incidents, a charge that carries up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.

Eagan Police discovered a series of commode capers after a restaurant manager called on June 22. The manager reported that metal pipe had gone missing from one of the toilets at an Eagan franchise. A review of surveillance footage showed a white Trailblazer entering the parking lot around the time of the toilet tampering. 

The store manager spoke with the area manager of the restaurant chain, who said that a similar incident had occurred at another Eagan location earlier that week. Four days after the initial call to police, a third restaurant in the franchise was targeted by the suspect. Surveillance at all three locations showed the same car, and the same man.

The Eagan PD sent out a tri-county alert with pictures of suspect. Within 30 minutes, investigators heard from their counterparts at the Blaine Police Department, who were pursuing a similar case. The officers from Blaine were able to give the EPD a license plate number for the Trailblazer. A simple search of the Driver and Vehicle Services database revealed the name and photo of the suspect—Carlson.  

The EPD set up surveillance on Carlson on July 5, watching as he entered three businesses in Roseville. After Carlson left, detectives confirmed that piping was missing from toilets in the businesses. After Carlson hit a fourth business, detectives put him under arrest. The purloined pipes were found in his car, along with a nylon bag containing two screwdrivers and a wrench.

In an interview with police, Carlson allegedly told officers he'd stolen piping from three Eagan businesses, three Roseville businesses, and also establishments located in several other towns in Dakota, Hennepin and Anoka Counties. The estimated value of the missing piping is $1,779.

Carlson made his first court appearance on Monday. He is currently in custody at the Dakota County Jail, held on a $10,000 bond. The bond will be lowered to $2,000 if Carlson agrees to abide by the court's conditions, specifically to stay away from the victim businesses—McDonald's, Target, Brunswick Bowl, Dairy Queen, Gander Mountain, and the Northtown Mall.