Charles Hall charged with stealing everything from everyone

Charles Hall was on a roll until he got caught.

​Charles Hall came to our attention three weeks ago, when he was arrested on burglary charges. At the time, police said Hall might actually be responsible for dozens more burglaries that had taken place across Minneapolis in July and August.

Now, the charges against Hall have gone public. The general takeaway from the Hennepin County Attorney's Office complaint against Hall is this: If you live in south Minneapolis and are missing anything, Charles Hall probably took it.

Hall is charged with eight felonies stemming from his breaking and entering spree, during which he repeatedly sneaked into apartment buildings' underground garages and stole valuables out of cars and storage lockers.

The addresses Hall allegedly hit between July 12 and his arrest on August 12 range across Uptown, from the 600 block of Franklin Avenue to the 4600 block of Lake Street. Hall didn't seem to get any better at his criminal practice, and his method was crude: Force his way through a security door to get himself into the garage, then smash car windows and take the good stuff.

The items Hall is accused of stealing are a hodgepodge of valuables. He had an eye for golf clubs, car stereos, nice mountain bikes, and an in-car GPS system.

Sometimes Hall didn't even come up lucky, and just did damage. On the 2800 block of 38th Street, Hall is accused of smashing-in five car windows, though no items were reported stolen; on the 1900 block of Minnehaha, at least five other car windows were found smashed, but again no items were stolen. Hall was not charged with an offense for that second incident, though a latent finger print of his was found at the scene.

In total, Hall faces six counts of second-degree burglary,which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison or a $20,000 fine. He's also up against a charge of felony damage to property and felony theft, each of which carries a possible penalty of five years in prison or $10,000 in damage.

Sergeant Bill Palmer said if the stolen goods are being used in a court case against Hall, they would be held as evidence until the case ended. Items not being used in court, or no longer useful to the county attorney's office, could be reclaimed through police if a victim could prove ownership.