WILLMAR -- A 17-year-old Willmar boy has been charged with a felony for second-degree burglary of a government, religious, historic or school building for allegedly burglarizing Calvary Lutheran Church on Dec. 29.
Cody Lee Friese was also arraigned Wednesday in Kandiyohi County District Court on a gross misdemeanor charge of theft and a misdemeanor charge for damage to property in the incident. He pleaded not guilty to each of the charges. His next court appearance is April 1.
According to the petition, Willmar police officers were called Dec. 29 to the church, at 302 Olena Ave. S.E., on a burglary report. The pastor showed the officer a broken window, footprints in the snow, doors that were damaged with pry marks, a damaged soda machine and blood on a countertop near the broken window. The officer took a sample of the blood and it was logged into evidence. Church officials later reported that a computer tower/server was missing and estimated its value at $2,577.
The next day, officers were called to Friese's home by a family member who found a partially dismantled computer tower in the boy's closet. The boy told police that he found the computer on the boulevard along the 200 block of Olena Avenue. Church staff members provided police with the original purchase receipt and serial number for the computer, and it matched the equipment found in the closet.
On Jan. 8, police went to the home again to talk with the family member regarding a white robe found in the boy's bedroom, which was consistent with an acolyte robe missing from the church. The robe had been damaged with graffiti on it.
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On Jan. 9, police interviewed Friese, who said he was in his room drinking with another juvenile that night and that the computer just showed up in his room. He admitted that it was possible that he and the other youth broke into the church and didn't remember it.
The boy admitted to damaging the robe and said that he took the computer apart to see what kind it was. He agreed to give a DNA sample to police and allowed officers to take photos of his injured right hand.
The same day, police interviewed another teen about the incident. The teen told officers that the boys told him about the burglary after it happened and said the boys came back from the church with beverages, a computer tower and a white robe. He said Friese claimed the computer and was going to sell the parts. The teens also talked about a safe at the church they could not open and said they broke the window and then ran around the block before entering the building.
