Stillwater Man Charged with Burglarizing Downtown Boutique

A 34-year-old Stillwater man this week was accused of burglarizing Bronze Boutique in downtown Stillwater.

Samuel Wolfgang Hernandez was charged by the Washington County Attorney’s Office with third-degree burglary. At the time of the alleged crime, he was on probation for a burglary conviction in Dakota County.

According to the complaint:

Stillwater police were called at about 11:11 p.m. on Dec. 21 to a report of a burglary in progress at Bronze Boutique.

Dispatchers told police that a witness had seen a man break the window with a piece of wood and enter the business, the complaint states. The witness told dispatchers he believed the man was still inside the business.

When police arrived, the officer reportedly saw a man “lying on his stomach crawling toward the exit door on his forearms.”

Police identified the man as Hernandez, noting that he was “wearing all black and holding a large amount of cash in his hand.”

Hernandez allegedly began to flee from the building and was apprehended a short time later. The witness identified Hernandez as the man who was seen smashing the window and gaining entrance.

Hernandez reportedly told police he burglarized the boutique with the intent of stealing money. He also told police he has an opiate addition.

If convicted, Hernandez faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.