HERON LAKE — A Jackson resident is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning on charges that he attempted to break into the vending/game machine inside the Heron Lake Laundromat last November.
Police were notified of the crime Nov. 22. According to the criminal complaint, law enforcement observed that someone had tried to forcibly open the vending/game machine door to access the money box, and had attempted to bend back a steel guard over the deadbolt on locked storage area door.
The investigating officer reviewed security footage from the laundromat to determine what had happened.
Around 12:49 a.m. Nov. 19, security cameras show Parker Kolander, 22, inside the laundromat. The officer recognized Kolander from previous interactions.
Between 12:52 a.m. and 4:10 a.m., Kolander is reportedly seen making numerous attempts to open the vending machine and the storage room door using a ball peen hammer and an L-shaped bar. The vending machine was broken in the process.
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The laundromat owner informed police that he was unable to order replacement parts for the machine, as that particular model is out of production. He will instead have to replace the entire machine for a cost of $3,200.
Kolander was charged with first-degree property damage and possession of burglary or theft tools, both felonies. The more serious charge, property damage, carries a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. If convicted, Kolander will be sentenced based on criminal history.
Kolander received a court summons on these charges, rather than being booked into jail. The mugshot provided is from a 2020 arrest.
