Attempted Theft at Apple Valley Walmart
APPLE VALLEY, MINNESOTA - The Dakota County Attorney's Office released the criminal complaint for Alexander Farchmin, who was arrested on Friday, December 29, 2023, after he attempted to steal from the Walmart in Apple Valley, Minnesota.
According to the criminal complaint, Apple Valley Police were called to the store for the report of a theft in progress at the store in the sporting goods section. Mr. Farchmin was seen trying to cut open a box for a cook stove with a knife. When the officer arrived, Mr. Farchmin was reportedly walking along Pennock Avenue. The officer found a male that matched the description of Mr. Farchmin, and he attempted to make a traffic stop on him. Mr. Farchmin immediately began to walk away from the officer and crossed Pennock Avenue. The officer ordered Mr. Farchmin to stop, after which Mr. Farchmin became agitated and angry and started yelling at the officer as he walked back toward the squad car. He then asked the officer why he was being stopped before running from the officer. Not long after, he stopped and turned toward the officer, who pointed his tazer at Mr. Farchmin. He complied with the officer's commands, and they returned to the squad car.
Once at the squad car, Mr. Farchman once again tried to run from the officer when he was asked to put his hands behind his back, which resulted in the officer tackling him to the ground and officially getting him into custody.
Mr. Farchmin advised the officer that he had a "training pistol" on himself, which the officer located in a holster. The gun reportedly looked like a Glock-style handgun but fired small metal BBs, was CO2-powered, and did not have an orange tip. The officer also found a 3.5" pocket knife in his jacket. The officer read him his Miranda rights, and Mr. Farchmin admitted using the knife to cut open the cook stove's security packaging.
According to the criminal complaint, Alexander Farchmin was charged with Felony Possession of Burglary or Theft Tools, which comes with a 0 to 3-year sentence and/or a fine of $1,500 to $5,000. He was given a $3,000 without conditions or $1,500 with conditions bond. At the time of writing this article, he had not paid.
Mr. Farchmin also has two warrants from the Farmington Police Department for Misdemeanor Domestic Assault for committing acts to cause fear of bodily harm or death and a Domestic Abuse No Contact Order. The bond for these warrants was $3,000 without conditions and $200 with conditions, which he did pay. His next court date for these charges is on January 30, 2024, at 1:30 PM in Hastings, Minnesota, with a jury trial date set for February 26, 2024, at 9 AM in Hastings.
PREVIOUS CRIME HISTORY
Records from the Dakota County Attorney's Office show Farchmin was also charged with theft (use of a motor vehicle without consent) back in August of 2023. According to that criminal complaint, Dakota County Sheriff's Office officers stopped a vehicle in Empire, Minnesota, after the driver was seen not wearing a seatbelt. When the vehicle was run, it was found that it had been reported stolen and taken out of Wisconsin without consent. Mr. Farchmin told police it was his mother's car. The mother was contacted and said that Mr. Farchmin had taken the vehicle for several weeks without telling her where it was.
Dakota County Jail
