Farmington Man Charged After Allegedly Stealing Impounded Truck, Ramming Through Shakopee Tow Yard Gate
SHAKOPEE: A man has been charged with two felonies after authorities allege he entered a Shakopee tow yard, took an impounded pickup truck and rammed it through a gate, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
Eric Andrew Hanson, 40, is charged in Scott County District Court with third-degree burglary and first-degree criminal damage to property. Both charges carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both.
According to the criminal complaint, Shakopee police were dispatched to Shakopee Towing at approximately 7:38 a.m. on Jan. 12, 2025, after receiving a report that a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado had been taken from the tow yard about 15 minutes earlier.
The tow yard manager told police the person responsible had allegedly jumped a fence and walked to the truck, which had recently been impounded by Shakopee police. The complaint states that keys are left inside vehicles stored in the tow yard.
Police reviewed surveillance video that allegedly showed the Silverado drive up to the tow yard's front gate and strike it once before backing up and ramming through it on a second attempt.
The gate was severely bent and damaged, and part of the truck's passenger-side mirror was allegedly left behind at the scene.
According to the complaint, the truck had previously been sold or traded to Hanson around Christmas 2024, although the vehicle was still registered to its previous owner at the time of the alleged incident.
The following day, Farmington police located the Silverado at Hanson's residence, according to the complaint. Police recovered the truck and later documented damage to its passenger side, including a broken mirror, dents and several large scrapes.
An officer wrote that the damage was consistent with surveillance footage showing the truck ramming through the tow yard gate.
Shakopee Towing later provided police with an itemized repair quote for the damaged gate. According to the complaint, replacing the gate was quoted at $7,250, with an additional option of $9,970 to replace the existing gate operator.
Police later spoke with Hanson by phone on March 24. According to the complaint, Hanson denied knowing anything about the theft and claimed he found the truck with the keys inside after being notified by someone from Canterbury. Police said Hanson did not identify the person who allegedly contacted him, and the account was not substantiated.
The complaint states that vehicle records showed Hanson transferred the truck's registration into his name on Feb. 12, 2025, approximately one month after the alleged incident.
Police subsequently obtained historical cell phone location data for Hanson's phone. According to the complaint, the data placed the phone in the immediate area of Shakopee Towing between approximately 4:51 a.m. and 7:51 a.m. on Jan. 12.
The complaint alleges that the location data corroborated surveillance footage showing the truck ramming the tow yard gate at approximately 7:30 a.m.
Hanson is charged with third-degree burglary for allegedly entering the tow yard without consent and committing a theft while inside. He is also charged with first-degree criminal damage to property for allegedly causing more than $1,000 in damage.
The allegations contained in the criminal complaint have not been proven in court. Hanson is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.