UPDATE: Arrest Made in Northfield Burglary Case; Police Continue to Investigate

UPDATE, FRIDAY 3 P.M.: A number of Northfield Police vehicles have descended on a house in the 600 block of Washington Street as part of the investigation into the burglary of two homes and killing of three dogs Wednesday.

Police officers on the scene said little about what was happening at the residence.

Police Sgt. Monte Nelson said a press release concerning the investigation would be distributed this afternoon.

Patch will update this story shortly.

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UPDATE, FRIDAY 2:45 P.M.: Northfield Police have arrested a suspect in this week's burglaries that lead to the killing of three dogs.

Interim Police Chief Chuck Walerius told the Northfield News that a suspect was taken into custody at about 11:30 a.m.

"We have a suspect in custody in those burglaries through an investigation with great witness accounts," Walerius said. "It’s just a great job by the citizens and our investigative team just worked feverishly."

Patch will update this story later

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UPDATE, THURSDAY 2 P.M.: A third dog reportedly was killed during criminal activity in Northfield on Wednesday.

Interim Police Chief Chuck Walerius told the Northfield News that police have received another report of a dog dying in a burglary. That burglary also may have occurred on College Street.

Walerius provided few details on the second burglary, as he was waiting to see the police report. He told the News that more details would be released in the coming days.

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ORIGINAL STORY: Northfield Police are investigating a burglary in the 700 block of College Street that left two dogs dead Wednesday morning.

One of the dogs was stabbed, Northfield's interim police chief, Chuck Walerius, said Thursday morning. The cause of the other dog's death had yet to be determined.

The dog's body will be taken to the University of Minnesota for a post-mortem examination, Walerius said.

Considering the circumstances surrounding the burglary, particularly that a pair of dogs died, Walerius called the case "very unusual."

"In all of my years, I've never seen anything like this," he said. "This usually doesn't happen because dogs bark, and that scares people away."

Police believe the burglary happened between 10 a.m. and noon Wednesday. There were no signs of forced entry into the home, and very few items were stolen.

"It was a very short time window," Walerius said. "[The burglary] was discovered when a family member came home for lunch."

The burglar may have entered the home through the backdoor, Walerius said. However, police were not certain of that because of the investigation still was underway.

Residents who may have information about this incident are being asked to call Northfield Police Sgt. Monte Nelson at 507-663-9488.