The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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July 17, 2009

Man arrested for Cleveland burglaries

By Dan Nienaber

LE CENTER — Police have arrested an 18-year-old Rochester man who is facing felony charges for a string of burglaries in Cleveland earlier this week.

Several burglaries and attempted burglaries were reported in and around Cleveland Tuesday. One report was from Jocko’s Bar and Grill, where several items were stolen. Items were also stolen from Countryside Welding and Repair in rural Cleveland, said Chief Deputy Tom Doherty of the Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Department.

Investigators were able to identify Robert Daniel Walechka as the suspect in the burglaries. He had been staying at his grandparent’s home in rural Cleveland, Doherty said.

Items that had been stolen from Jocko’s and Countryside Welding were found at that residence. More stolen items were found in Walechka’s vehicle when he was arrested in Albert Lea, where his mother lives, after the burglaries were reported, Doherty said. Stereo equipment and other electronics that had been stolen from a car parked in Cleveland also were found in Walechka’s vehicle.

Attempted burglaries also were reported by the Cleveland Municipal Liquor Store and the American Legion Club on Tuesday.

Walechka appeared in court Thursday for felony theft and third-degree burglary charges related to the Jocko’s and Countryside Welding break-ins. Doherty said he is requesting additional charges for the attempted burglaries and the items stolen from the car.

Bail was set at $2,500 cash or $25,000 for a bond, court records said.

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