Pennington County (trfnews.i234.me) — Jeffrey Eugene Klinke, age 33 of Thief River Falls, is behind bars after being charged with Second-Degree Burglary following a bold and bizarre break-in on June 1, 2025.
Pennington County officers were called to 507 Kendall Avenue South shortly after midnight, where the homeowner reported that his residence had been broken into. Missing items included a 75-inch Vizio 4K Smart TV, a Nintendo Switch, a wireless charging station, and other electronics and home materials.
The homeowner told officers that shortly before the break-in, he had a confrontation with Klinke over a personal dispute involving a juvenile female. Soon after, the homeowner returned home to find his front door broken and belongings stolen.
Suspicion quickly turned to Klinke, who lived nearby. Officers discovered a shoe print on the broken door that matched Klinke’s flip flops, which were taken into evidence. While Klinke was being detained, he was overheard telling a neighbor, “Get rid of the stuff in my garage.”
A search warrant was obtained for Klinke’s apartment and garage at what was initially believed to be 512 Kendall Avenue South (later clarified to be 516). Inside garage unit #8, officers located:
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The missing 75-inch Vizio Smart TV
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A white wooden door jam
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Interior door trim
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Personal items linking the garage to Klinke
The apartment itself yielded no evidence, but the garage contents strongly tied Klinke to the burglary. All recovered items were secured in the Pennington County evidence vault.
Klinke now faces a felony charge under Minnesota Statute 609.582.2(a)(1), which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine.
Did you know?
📄 Charge: Burglary in the Second Degree – Dwelling
📅 Date: June 1, 2025
🏛 Statute: 609.582.2(a)(1)
🔒 Max Sentence: 10 years in prison, $20,000 fine, or both
📍 Case Number: 57-CR-25-357
📍 Prosecutor File No..: 25-600-57
I’m Chris Harper, reporting for TRF News.