Ill-conceived Search for Lost Hoodie Leads to Felony Burglary Charge

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One south metro man could face serious prison time for a nighttime break-in in Burnsville.

Luis Fernondo Bonilla, a 22-year-old Eagan resident, has been charged with first-degree burglary, intrusion into an occupied dwelling, a felony carrying a sentence of anywhere from six months to 20 years in prison and up to $35,000 in fines. He is also charged with terroristic threats, a felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. 

According to the criminal complaint against Bonilla, the Burnsville Police Department was called to the scene of a burglary on Feb. 21, at about 2:30 a.m. Upon arriving at the apartment in question, officers observed that the door assembly had been damaged and appeared as if it had been forced. A woman inside the apartment told police that she awoke to a ruckus outside her window. She heard a man yelling "Charlene" and also, "I need my hoodie." She did not know the man and there was no one of that name, Charlene, in her household.

The man, later identified as Bonilla, became so threatening and insistent that she called police. While waiting for them to arrive, she heard a loud noise. The man had busted into the residence. He forced his way into the bedroom, though she struggled to keep the door shut against him.

Once inside he said, "Where the (expletive) is Charlene?"

The woman said she and the two other occupants were scared for their lives. The suspect continued to barrage them with questions about "Charlene" and the whereabouts of his sweatshirt.

Gradually, the intruder realized he was in the wrong apartment.

According to the three witnesses, Bonilla said, "If I have to come back here, I'll kill y'all," and then walked out of the residence.

The woman said she was so shaken by the incident that she had strongly considered moving.

Police found Bonilla in an another apartment in the building. When questioned, he exercised his right to remain silent.

Bonilla remains in custody at the Dakota County Jail. He is being held on a $50,000 bond, which will be reduced to $30,000 if he agrees to meet the court's conditions. His next hearing will take place on March 12.

A search of court records revealed only minor traffic offenses connected to Bonilla's name.