NEW ULM — A 28-year-old New Ulm man charged Thursday with felony second-degree and third-degree burglary plus misdemeanor theft and fourth-degree damage to property said he was “extremely sorry” and had already returned the stolen money to the alleged victim.

According to court documents, New Ulm Police responded to a reported burglary and were told by a woman that her house was broken into and several hundred dollars worth of change was taken from the residence Dec. 17.

The woman told police the suspect, Nicholas A. Portner, is a good friend that she was drinking with the previous night at a New Ulm bar when he became upset with her and told her to leave. The woman said she left the bar a short time later, returned to her residence and saw Portner walk away from the residence on the evening of Dec. 16.

The alleged victim said she contacted Portner by text message and ultimately got him to admit to her that he broke into her house and took the change. In addition, she said he agreed to return some of the change and dropped off a Crown Royal bag full of change, but it was only a fraction of the change that was stolen.

Police photographed a broken front door, a cracked door jamb and a casing inside the door that was coming off, at residence. Police photographed text messages that included Portner stating “I did take it.”

Portner told police he was with the alleged victim at her residence earlier in the day, they went to Jackpot Junction Casino/Hotel in Morton, returned to New Ulm and went to a bar, which he left and went to the woman’s residence. because he wanted to “mess” with her, according to the complaint.

In addition, Portner told police he entered the alleged victim’s residence through an unlocked back door and took $80 in cash an an unknown amount of change. He said he was extremely sorry and already returned the stolen money to her.

Portner was summoned to appear in Brown County District Court at 8:30 a.m., Jan. 23.

fbusch@nujournal.com