Man found hiding in home he broke into pleads guilty to property damage
Matthew Tlougan[Olmsted County Adult Detention Center]
(ABC 6 News) – A Rochester man pleaded guilty to one count of damage to propery, after being arrested inside of a 7th Ave. SE rental property he was accused of breaking into.
Matthew Tlougan, 29, pleaded guilty to damage to property which reduced the value by more than $1,000 in court July 6.
A count of 2nd degree burglary for enterting the home was dismissed.
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Tlougan was arrested in December 2021, after property owners found signs that someone was repeatedly entering their building under renovation.
Police found Tlougan hiding in the basement of the house, as well as burning copper wires and signs that Tlougan had ripped out all of the wiring to the house and removed copper from the fireplace.
The damage was estimated at about $20,000.
Tlougan’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 1.