WORTHINGTON — Carlos Sandoval-Ramirez, 24, of Worthington, has been charged with felony-level, second-degree burglary for allegedly committing a crime after entering a dwelling without consent. Sandoval-Ramirez is also facing two felony counts of fifth-degree drug possession and a misdemeanor theft charge.
On Dec. 9, Worthington police officers responded to a report of a burglary that occurred earlier in the day at a residence in the city of Worthington. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with a victim who lived at the residence.
The victim stated that when they returned home earlier in the day, they discovered the basement window was broken, and had not been before that day. Another resident was missing $400 from their purse and a gold chain necklace, while a third resident was missing a $100 bottle of Chanel cologne, a $40 suit jacket and a $40 dress vest.
The three victims told the officer they believed the person who had broken in was Sandoval-Ramirez, who used to live at the house. According to the report, the victims stated this was not the first time Sandoval-Ramirez had broken in and stolen items from the house.
Officers believed Sandoval-Ramirez was staying at the Red Carpet Inn in Worthington. They were informed by the manager that Sandoval-Ramirez was staying in a room there. When officers knocked on the door, Sandoval-Ramirez reportedly refused to open up, forcing officers to speak with him through a closed window. While attempting to speak with Sandoval-Ramirez, officers spotted a dark blue square bottle of cologne sitting on the dresser in the room. When asked about the bottle, Sandoval-Ramirez held it up in a way that was difficult for officers to see the label. Sandoval-Ramirez then stated he was going to sleep and closed the blinds.
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A search warrant was obtained for the hotel room and the manager provided a room key to the officers, but they discovered the screen door to the room was locked. Sandoval-Ramirez would not come to the door after officers knocked and announced they were attempting to execute the warrant. One officer was able to climb into the room through an open window and unlock the door from the inside.
During the search of the room, officers observed that Sandoval-Ramirez had allegedly hidden the bottle of cologne under the bed. The cologne was confirmed to be the Chanel bottle missing from the victim's home. A gold chain necklace was also reportedly found in Sandoval-Ramirez’s pocket. A second warrant was obtained after officers observed a butane torch lighter in the room and a rolled-up dollar bill, which allegedly had white residue inside and field tested positive for methamphetamine.
Later, while Sandoval-Ramirez was being booked into the jail, staff reportedly found a baggie containing a white, crystal-like substance in his pants. The substance field tested positive for methamphetamine. Sandoval-Ramirez has a prior fifth-degree controlled substance conviction from June.
If convicted, Sandoval-Ramirez faces a maximum five years imprisonment for each of the drug possession charges and/or a combined $20,000 in fines. For the burglary charge, Sandoval-Ramirez faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine. The misdemeanor theft charge carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
