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Charges: Man Drank Heavily, Broke Into Several Cars

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 23-year-old Excelsior man is accused of breaking into several cars and causing extensive damage after a night of heavy drinking, according to charges filed Thursday in Hennepin County Court.

Russell James Doop was charged with first-degree damage to property of more than $1,000 in connection with the incident, which happened Tuesday morning in Excelsior.

According to a complaint, police were called to the 500 block of William Street at about 2:30 a.m. on a report of damage to property in progress. When authorities arrived, a person told police that he heard someone pounding on his vehicle in his back yard.

Authorities then went to the scene and found the man, identified as Doop, in the back yard pounding on the vehicle. He was extremely intoxicated and bleeding from lacerations on his left hand, the complaint states.

His clothing was also wet and covered in mud and blood. The victim told police the entire door handle assembly had been ripped off and was lying on the ground. There were also pry marks on the frame of the vehicle and blood was smeared over the driver's side door and window. When asked why Doop was breaking into his vehicle, the victim said "I don't know."

When interviewed by police, Doop said he was a black-out drunk and didn't remember anything between leaving a bar Tuesday morning and ending up in the hospital, according to the complaint.

The complaint states there was also evidence that Doop broke a window at an Excelsior business and caused damage to several vehicles that belonged to West Metro Learning Connections.

If convicted, Doop  faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

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