Public tips lead to suspect in gun theft
Tips from the public that included photos of a distinctive pickup – followed by a tip providing the complete license plate number of the pickup – led to the arrest of a suspect in a recent theft of a firearm.
Donald Daniel Pepin, 68, of Faribault, was arraigned Monday in Steele County District Court on one count of felony theft. He was conditionally released without bail and is due back in court March 22.
The arrest came about a week after Owatonna Police shared a photo of a man they believed stole a rifle from a display rack at Fleet Farm. According to a press release about the Jan. 26 incident, the suspect concealed the gun between large bags of seed on a flatbed cart, then left the store without paying for any of the items.
On Feb. 1, law enforcement was contacted by an employee with Cabela’s loss prevention team, who said the suspect had been in their store the day before. According to the criminal complaint, the man “browsed firearms and firearm accessories” while in the store, then left in a silver pickup with no tailgate and damage to the back passenger quarter panel.
Detectives on the case sent out updated photos, including views of the truck, and got a call from a “one-time citizen informer” who had seen the update. The caller said they thought they knew the suspect, but couldn’t remember the man’s name.
The person had seen the suspect just that afternoon, and said the man was wearing the same “skull” baseball hat that was seen in the original crime alert. The caller wrote down the license plate information of the truck, which they provided to authorities.
A check of the license plate indicated it was registered to a silver pickup listed to Pepin, the complaint says, and his driver’s license photo matched the photo.
Detectives obtained a warrant to search Pepin’s home and vehicle; as they headed to Faribault, police officers there stopped Pepin as he left his driveway in the pickup.
Pepin gave authorities the information to open a safe in the house; the serial number of a rifle inside allegedly matched the number of the firearm stolen from Fleet Farm in Owatonna.
It was described as a Henry Repeating Arms .22 level action, valued at nearly $350.
In addition, the baseball cap reportedly worn by Pepin during the photographed theft was found in the home.