BROWNSVILLE , Minn. – Three burglars from Wisconsin were caught in a bungled attempt to haul off a cash kiosk from a Brownsville  gas station overnight, police said. They were arrested after the store owner, home at the time, saw them on surveillance video inside the store and called police. Whether the threesome might have pulled it off was uncertain. Their plan was to pry the ATM kiosk off the floor with a crowbar, but they hadn’t realized that the kiosk was bolted securely into concrete, police said. The machine wouldn’t budge. They then took an ice-chipper to break the machine open. The chipper kept bending. This all delayed their possibly getting away. The thwarted plan turned into a dramatic hour-long police stand-off at River Valley Station.

River Valley Station. At 202 Main Street in Brownsville.

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Police stand-0ff

When Houston County deputies arrived, they found Hanna Jean Goyette, in a running vehicle outside. Goyette said her boyfriend, Joel Wilson Cruz, was inside the store. So too was a second man, Harley Arlington Kulp. Deputies established a perimeter around the store and called LaCrescent police, including a K-9, and the state patrol. for reinforcement. Forty-five minutes later, Cruz was arrested trying to punch his way out through an attic vent. Another 15 minutes later, Kulp came out and surrendered. Why didn’t he surrender earlier? Kulp told deputies it was too dark inside and he couldn’t  find his way out. Deputies had pulled the plug.

The mess inside

The place was a mess inside. The ATM was smashed. The store’s cash drawer was missing Strewn everywhere were all kinds of merchandise — fishing lures, candies and notions. And, yes, deputies said, a crowbar was on the floor behind the counter. Kulp had nearly $4,000 in cash in the front pockets of his pants, they said.

The scheme

Houston County Sheriff Mark Inglett said the group had driven 10 miles south to Brownsville after crossing the Mississippi river at LaCrescent from Wisconsin. They had targeted the River Valley Station store and also located a remote spot along the river to take the machine, to break it open, to take the cash, to dump the machine in the river, and to drive back to Wisconsin with the cash. When things went wrong inside he store, they glommed up fishing lures — a kind backup booty not easily traced and quickly fenced. Then the police arrived. Apparently they were aware of the store’s surveillance cameras from the begininng because they were wearing black hoods. They no carried weapons. Charged with burglary, receiving stolen property, theft and intentional damage to property were.

Joel Wilson Cruz, 36, of West Salem, Wisconsin. Earlier lived in Caledonia in Houston County. On supervised release from judicial system Wisconsin.

Harley Arlington “Squad”  Kulp, 27, of Rockland, Wisconsin, and earlier nearby  Hillsboro. On supervised release from the Wisconsin judicial system.

Hanna Jean Goyette, 21, of West Salem., Wisconsin. Earlier lived in Caledonia in Houston County.