NEW ULM — Brown County authorities are looking for a 31-year-old Windom man accused of stealing $25,500 worth of catalytic converters in Sleepy Eye.

The warrant also charges him for theft of Menard’s merchandise at the Marshall store.

Felony theft, first-degree damage to property and possession of burglary or theft tools were filed and an arrest warrant was issued May 20 against Clinton R. Glidden of Windom.

According to court documents, Brown County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Justin Bauer was contacted by a Miller Sellner Implement employee about catalytic converters cut from vehicles owned by the business.

Vehicles tampered with or damaged included a 2020 Dodge Ram, 2022 F-150 XL, 2013 F-150 XL, 2002 F-15, and a 2021 Dodge Ram flatbed. The incident was believed to have happened March 21-23.

Bauer looked under the flatbed truck, saw a Sawzall blade on the ground and collected it as evidence. He received Miller Sellner surveillance video showing two people of interest walking in front of the business near the four pickups at 3:45 a.m.

Two individuals were seen walking behind and underneath trucks at Miller Sellner. A bent, reciprocating saw blade was found under a 2021 Dodge Ram. A Schroepfer Inc. surveillance video showed a suspect walking between two trucks at 3:30 a.m.

Brown County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Andrew Konechne went to Menard’s and found one that matched the same USA emblem found on a suspect Master Force blade. He asked the store manager how many of the blades were sold and if a photo of the customer who bought them could be provided.

After learning of the Schroepfer Inc. thefts, Konechne identified a suspicious vehicle in the lot at 4:47 a.m. He returned to Schroepfer Inc. and reviewed video footage with business employees. Footage showed an older model Jeep Grand Cherokee, driving south on TH 4, pulled into their lot and turned around.

The suspect vehicle appeared to back into a driveway south of Schroepfer Inc., then pull away and travel north.

Konechne took video still images of the suspect vehicle and sent them to Brown County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Sleepy Eye Police. He then requested a crime alert email be sent seeking information to help identify suspects.

Konechne met with Sleepy Eye Police Investigator Shawn Bohnen about a geofence search warrant. Bohnen wrote a search warrant for Google accounts that reported at GPS, cellular, Wi-Fi, or bluetooth location data within 186 meters of Miller Sellner GPS coordinates. The warrant was signed and served on Google.

On April 18, Google responded with subscriber information based on the warrant, including the name, address and phone number of Glidden.

On May 5, Konechne called the Marshall Menard’s store general manager about checking reciprocating saw blade transactions on March 22. Video provided showed an individual who looked like Glidden wearing a black jacket, brown pants and hood over his head.

Another video showed a tan Jeep Grand Cherokee, similar to the suspect’s, driving across the store parking lot. The store general manager said it was Glidden’s vehicle when he arrived at the store.