St. Paul Man Accused of Trying to Commandeer Cars, Enter Home During Strange Spree

A St. Paul man faces four felony charges for a string of strange incidents in Apple Valley, all of which occurred on Tuesday of last week.

Marc Phillip Radel, 38, has been charged with three counts of attempted simple robbery, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine, and a fifth-degree controlled substance crime. He also faces a lesser charge for fleeing police, a misdemeanor.

On June 25, officers with the Apple Valley Police Department were dispatched to a home on Garnett Way on report of a suspicious male. Once on scene, the homeowner told police that she was outside watching her children at play when she noticed a man running towards her home. The stranger entered the garage where he was confronted by the homeowner. The man fled north after she told him to get out. 

The homeowner was able to give a thorough description of the suspect, who popped up on another call a few minutes later. Another woman told dispatch that she was driving east on 152nd Street when a strange man ran into the road. He began pounding on the car windows, and tried to pull open one of the rear doors. The woman told police that she was sure that he wanted to get into the car. Fearing for the safety of herself and her two small children, the woman gunned the gas to get away from him.

Officers heard similar story from yet another victim, a woman who was sitting in her parked car at a nearby business. The woman said she'd paused to clean her glasses before entering a pharmacy, when a man matching Radel's description ran up to her and said he needed her car. He put his hand on her shoulder and tried to push her out of the way, she said, but ran away after she hit the car alarm.

From there, Radel apparently ran north, towards a business at 153rd and Cedar Avenue, where he accosted a member of a grounds crew working in the back of a box truck. The man told police that the suspect pushed him from behind, then raised his hand as if he was going to hit him. He said there may have been a knife in Radel's hand, but he wasn't sure. Radel fled after the man's co-workers heard the commotion and came running.

A few minutes later, the suspect was spotted ducking between the cars at a nearby auto dealership. An officer heading east on 152nd towards Gallivant saw Radel dive into some tall grass at the corner of the intersection and crouch to the ground. The squad turned around and Radel ran north, back to the dealership.

The officer gave chase on foot, with his weapon drawn, but Radel refused orders to stop. Radel continued to run though the officer warned him that he would be tazed. The officer finally caught up with the suspect in the dealership's south lot.
Radel resisted officers' attempts to handcuff him. Once cuffed, he went limp and had to be dragged to the squad car.

Officers discovered a glass pipe, commonly used for smoking meth, in Radel's back pocket, along with a small baggie containing a crystalline substance. He was wearing a yellow jacket, apparently taken from the landscaping crew. Arresting officers describe his behavior as erratic, and note that he was sweating profusely.

The contents of the bag later tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine.

Radel made his first appearance in court on Thursday. He remains in custody at the Dakota County Jail, held on a $40,000 bond ($30,000 with conditions). The judge has asked Radel to submit to a psychological evaluation.