Police Arrest Suspect in Burnsville Gas Station Robbery

A Circle Pines man has been charged with robbery after police say he robbed a Burnsville gas station last week.

Daniel Jacob Waterhouse-Grear, 21, faces felony charges of robbery and theft, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

Waterhouse-Grear remained in the Dakota County Jail Friday on a $50,000 bond. An omnibus hearing in his case is scheduled for Sept. 26 in Dakota County District Court in Hastings. 

According to the criminal complaint, a clerk at the gas station on West Burnsville Parkway told police that Waterhouse-Grear approached her counter on Aug. 22 with three dollar coins and asked to exchange them for dollar bills.

When the clerk opened the cash register to make the exchange, Waterhouse-Grear reached across the counter and grabbed about $295 in cash, mostly $20 bills, then fled the store, the complaint says.

The clerk provided a description of the suspect, and Waterhouse-Grear was clearly shown on surveillance video from the station.

Burnsville police distributed an image from the video to law enforcement in the area, and he was quickly identified as Waterhouse-Grear. Images were sent to Waterhouse-Grear’s probation officer, who reported that the suspect in the video looked “exactly like my client,” according to the complaint.

The clerk also identified a photo of Waterhouse-Grear from a photo lineup three times.

Waterhouse-Grear’s criminal record includes convictions for theft, obstruction of justice and damage to property. He is currently on probation for first-degree aggravated robbery in Hennepin County.