A Woodbury police investigation that included cell tower information and blood from the scene of a different crime has led to a burglary charge in the December 2011 safe theft from a Woodbury liquor store.

Virgil Lee Kirkwood, 23, faces up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 if convicted.

Four men pried open a door at Elite Liquor during the early morning hours of Dec. 24, 2011, and stole a safe containing cash and coins, the manager told Patch at the time.

“They came in and within two minutes they were out of here,” Sev Poser said.

      Related: Safe Stolen from Woodbury Liquor Store

      Related: Woodbury PD Seeks Public’s Help to Identify Safe Thieves

According to the criminal complaint:

Following the Woodbury burglary, police later learned that the suspect vehicle, a white Jeep Cherokee, was involved in a similar theft at a jewelry store in Wayzata earlier that month.

Blood found at the scene of the Wayzata crime was linked to Kirkwood, and officers found that he had violations while driving a white Jeep Cherokee.

After obtaining Kirkwood’s cell phone records through a warrant, police discovered that his phone was used fewer than one and a half miles away from Elite Liquor around the same time as the Woodbury burglary. The phone was also used near the site of a Minneapolis liquor store robbery on Dec. 24, 2011.

Kirkwood has no permanent address.

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