WILLMAR -- Juanel Anthony Mikulak, 20, of Kerkhoven, was a-rraigned Friday on 10 felony charges for his alleged role in a June burglary of a rural Lake Lillian home.
Unconditional bail was set at $100,000 in Kandiyohi County District Court. No conditional bail was allowed. Mikulak faces charges of first-degree burglary, theft, liability for crimes of another - theft and burglary and for receiving stolen property. He also faces two felony charges for possessing a pistol or assault weapon within 10 years of a violent crime conviction. According to the charges, he was convicted of felony domestic assault in Renville County in November 2007.
Mikulak also faces criminal sexual conduct charges, also in Kandiyohi County, for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl, and for sexually assaulting another 15-year-old on prom night.
According to the complaint on the burglary charges, Kandiyohi County sheriff's deputies were called on the evening of June 11 to a rural Lake Lillian home. The residents reported the home had been burglarized while they were at work. Several rooms had been ransacked and a stereo, video game and game cartridges, computer, four long guns, a handgun, five knives, a sewing machine and a jar of coins and bills were missing.
Pry marks were observed on the back door and tire tracks appeared to have been left by the suspect's vehicle. A small clock bore a noticeable thumbprint and was taken as evidence.
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The homeowners suspected Dawn Jean Meyer, 34, of Kerkhoven, who was the ex-girlfriend of the now-deceased brother of one of the homeowners, of being involved in the burglary. Meyer and the homeowner had argued over a jar of change missing from the home and $10 borrowed from the homeowner's son.
According to the complaint, Meyer called relatives of one of the homeowners, asking if they were working, so that she could repay the $10. The owners were later told about the calls and returned home to find their house had been burglarized.
During a five-week investigation, officers executed a search warrant on June 17 at the Meyer residence in Kerkhoven where they recovered a binocular set, three DVDs and five Play Station II games taken from the Lake Lillian home. Police also determined that Mikulak also lived at the residence.
Other items that had been stolen during the burglary were recovered at a Willmar apartment. The complaint states that the Play Station II system, 12 games and a CD stereo system were pawned on June 13 and that the items were recovered July 2 at a St. Cloud pawn shop.
When Mikulak was arrested on the criminal sexual conduct charges, an expandable black baton was found on him. The baton was identified by the homeowner as stolen from the house.
