MINNESOTA COMPUTERS STOLEN The Austin Daily Herald: The Newspaper That Cares About Austin

By MIA SIMPSON/mia.simpson@austindailyherald.com

Man who fled police may be linked to Austin business burglary

A 22-year-old man will be charged with possession of stolen property after police found computer items in his Chevy Blazer, which may be linked to a burglary and theft at Community Technologies and Services, according to Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi.

Amazi said Darren Eugene Morrison left the scene of an accident Dec. 29 near Freedom gas station, 101 Fourth St. N.W., in his vehicle, which after a pursuit ending at Western Manor Apartments was found to contain five Dell computer towers and two laptop computers.

After hitting a parked car at Western Manor, Morrison, of Rochester, fled on foot and was apprehended about two blocks later, Amazi said. He will be charged, she said, with single counts of felony flee in a motor vehicle, felony possession ofstolen property and misdemeanors flee on foot, no Minnesota driver’s license and no insurance.

Seven computers were reported stolen Dec. 28 from Community Technologies and Services, a nonprofit organization that provides financial, mental health, chemical dependency and other social services.

Vern Lewis, president of Cedar River Counseling, noticed an open service door when he entered the building Friday morning around 6:30 a.m., according to the police report. He found a basement window broken, the likely entry point of the suspect, the report said.

Four basement rooms, which house CTS, were rummaged through and ransacked, and missing seven computers.

“It just totally disrupts our operation,” CTS executive director Carlton Frank said, adding that his along with other computers contained financial, budgetary, policy, contract and patient information. “If the computers aren’t found, we’re estimating that it will be about $25,000 to $30,000 in expenses.”

CTS is offering rewards for the missing items: $2,500 for the return of computers and $1,000 for information leading to successful prosecution.

Amazi said Austin police are currently applying for a search warrant of the Blazer, which has been impounded. They will then investigate the computers’ origin, she said.

Morrison is being held in Mower County jail, pending bail. According to court records, he recently finished a 30-month prison sentence in St. Cloud for a felony burglary conviction. Morrison had been charged Feb. 2, 2006 one felony count oftheft and two felony counts of third degree burglary. He was sentenced June 8, 2007 to 30 months in prison, with 489 days of credit for time served.