Annandale police haven’t forgotten about two men who committed a daring daylight burglary at the Marketplace food store more than a year ago. Police are still trying to crack the case 13 months later and have identified several incidents since then that resemble the Annandale theft. Two men pictured on videotape in one of them appear to have similarities to the Marketplace thieves, said Police Chief Jeff Herr, who thinks police will ultimately catch up with the culprits. The pair entered the Annandale supermarket just before noon on Good Friday, March 25, last year, and acted as if they were shopping, according to police at the time. Cash grabbed One waited until an employee left the office, and, when the door didn’t latch, he entered and grabbed an undisclosed amount of cash from the safe. The other man stayed at the store’s service counter near the office as a lookout. The two drove off in a late model, dark colored car, possibly a Mercedes or BMW. Videotape photos of the men in the store, including one reaching into the safe, were published in the Advocate and St. Cloud Times. “I’m confident we can put this case together,” Herr said last week. The culprits appear to be still hitting businesses, he said, and police are gathering more evidence. Herr cited reports of several other cases from western Minnesota in which crooks used a similar approach. One man distracts a clerk or attendant, he said, while a second one slips into the office. “It doesn’t appear to be a spur-of-the-moment crime.” The incidents took place from April last year to January in Montevideo, Rothsay, Breckenridge, Spicer, Paynesville and Hutchinson. “There appears to be similarities” between two men shown on videotape at the Rothsay Truck Stop, between Fergus Falls and Moorhead, on April 7 last year and the pair in the Marketplace photos, Herr said. In that case three men were involved. They distracted an attendant, entered the office and took an undisclosed amount of money, he said. The main thing about it and the other cases is that they should make businesses aware that such crimes are continuing to happen, Herr said. If any of them involve the same pair who pulled off the Marketplace theft, then they may still be operating and there’s a chance they’ll be caught. Herr said he’s hoping someone will be able to identify the culprits or get a vehicle description. In his experience, people make mistakes. “They may make a mistake that would be the key to solving this case.” Annandale police still want the public’s help, he said. “If anyone has any information regarding this crime or if they’ve heard anything that may be beneficial, I encourage them to call.” City police can be reached at 274-3278. Police described one of the Marketplace thieves as a white man in his late 30s or early 40s. He was wearing what appeared to be light colored baggy blue jeans and a black leather-type coat. He wore a black baseball cap that may have had a red brim. He appeared to be short and stocky. The other was white and in his late 40s or early 50s with light brown hair. He was wearing a dark blue baseball cap that may have had the letter T on the front. He was also wearing dark brown sunglasses, tan pants and a tan lightweight jacket. He appeared to be tall with a very slim build.
