New Ulm Police: Man Tampered With Vehicle In Grocery Store Parking Lot

New Ulm Police say they have identified a suspect who tampered with a vehicle at a grocery store.

New Ulm Police say they responded to a call of suspicious activity at Hy-Vee at 4:12 p.m. Sunday.  Store surveillance video showed a man exit a maroon pickup, approach woman’s vehicle while she was shopping, and pop the hood open.  According to the police, “The man had involvement under the hood, but it was unclear what sort of tampering he was performing.”

The woman whose car was tampered with described a man pulling up next to her in the Hy-Vee lot and staring at her as he lit a cigarette outside his vehicle.

The woman stated, “Did my shopping and left the store. Making my way back to my van, I noticed that the man was still there! I get in and try to start my van; it doesn’t start!”

According to the victim, the man in the truck immediately came over to ask her if she was having trouble, to which she replied “No,” and wrote down the man’s plate numbers.  When help came, it was discovered that her vehicle’s engine had been tampered with.

A 27-year-old man was identified through his license plates and found at his residence in New Ulm, where police questioned him.  Police said, “At this time the motive behind his actions are unclear.”

Charges are pending a review from the city attorney’s office.  The man could be charged with motor vehicle tampering, a misdemeanor. Police say they are not releasing the suspect’s name until he is formally charged.