Community Corner

Police: Burglar Broke Into Home of Woman Who'd Dated Same Man as Her

A Long Lake woman is accused of breaking into a Hopkins home and destroying pictures inside. Nothing was stolen.

A Long Lake woman is accused of breaking into a Hopkins home and destroying pictures of a woman who had dated the same man as her, according to court documents released Tuesday.

Several witness told police that they saw a woman drive up to the 16th Avenue North home April 27 in a black SUV, break a window with a hammer, kick down a door and enter the residence, Detective Renee Meuwissen wrote in the criminal complaint. When officers went inside, they found that several picture frames had been broken and pictures were torn up on the kitchen table.

As they were investigating, 48-year-old Barbara Jennings Tolchiner went to the Police Department to file a harassment complaint against the owner of the burglarized home. Officers noted that she had a black SUV in which there was a hammer in plain view. 

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Witnesses identified Tolchiner as the woman who broke the window and kicked in the door.

The homeowner said that she’d had issues with Tolchiner because they’d both dated the same man, according to the court documents. She confirmed that nothing was out of place in the home other than the broken pictures on the kitchen table.

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Prosecutors have charged Tolchiner with second-degree burglary—a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

She was arrested April 27, according to MobileMugs. Bond was set at $40,000, according to the court documents. She posted bond May 1.


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