An Anoka man has been arrested in a string of robberies that struck liquor and convenience stores across the northern suburbs.
Jason Tyler Roesler, 30, was charged earlier this week in Anoka County District Court with two counts of first-degree robbery and three counts of second-degree robbery. His arrest caps an investigation that stretched from Mounds View to Ham Lake.
Roesler was being held in the Anoka County jail Friday afternoon. Bail was set at $150,000, according to jail records.
According to Blaine police, who took the lead role in the investigation, the nine robberies occurred in Circle Pines, Lino Lakes, Blaine, Ham Lake and Mounds View and were similar in nature. The suspect would cover his face with a bandanna or mask and either pull out a gun or imply that he had one, police said in a prepared statement released Friday.
No one was hurt during the robberies, which began Sept. 28 and ran through Feb. 18, according to a criminal complaint.
On the night of the last robbery, a Blaine police sergeant spotted a vehicle behind a liquor store and ran its plates. Minutes later, the sergeant was called back to the area on a robbery call, but the vehicle was gone, according to the complaint.
Investigators learned the car’s owner had loaned it to the suspect at the time. Searching Roesler’s home, they found clothing that matched the outfits worn by the robber during the other thefts.