"Like a Hollywood movie:" Man charged in chaotic Christmas day burglary at Tousley Motorsports
VADNIS HEIGHTS, Minn. — Tousley Motorsports was back open for business Wednesday, after a real-life Grinch paid them a visit on Christmas Day.
"When you watch the videos, the surveillance, it honestly looks like a Hollywood movie," Salesperson Jon Osowski said.
It was just after 6 a.m. when a man plowed through multiple garage doors on a stolen ATV and went on a joyride through the store.
"As he's walking around the showroom he's trying on clothes and a helmet. And he did put a helmet on before driving through the garage doors, so safety first," Osowski said.
He made an escape out the back where he crashed through a fence. Ramsey County Sheriff's Deputies were already close by and arrested the suspect, identified as 32-year-old Austin Erickson of Little Canada.
Osowski thinks he was going up to 40 miles per hour inside the store as he knocked over merchandise, went shopping, and drove over motorcycles.
"Everything was disheveled. All the isles were just littered with material, helmets, jackets," Osowski said.
Some of the team spent Christmas day cleaning up the mess inside the store. Osowski said estimated damage and losses are around $500,000.
As the business of 52 years works with insurance and restocks, Osowski is thankful no one was inside at the time.
"We have 60 people that work here. You know, we're family run, it's a family-run dealership. So we all pitched in, and we'll get through it," he said.
On Wednesday, the Ramsey County Attorney's Office charged Erickson with property damage, burglary and theft of a motor vehicle.