Man Arrested for Burglarizing Charlie’s Place Bar

John Canova. (Becker County Jail)

Detroit Lakes, MN – A man is in custody for burglarizing a bar in rural Detroit Lakes last week.

Becker County prosecutors say 46-year-old John Duvall Canova of Detroit Lakes entered Charlie’s Place Bar and Grill at around 4:20 a.m. Tuesday, March 3, and took cash out of the register, the pull tab drawer, and two bags next to that drawer. The owner told county investigators that a total of $7,479.28 was taken.

According to court documents, the owner began suspecting Canova, one of their cooks, after realizing the suspect in the bar’s security footage favored their right leg in the same manner Canova did. Traffic cam footage shows Canova’s vehicle driving near the bar around the time of the burglary, and the bar’s security footage shows the suspect approaching the bar from the same direction his car was seen going.

When investigators spoke with Canova, he denied involvement in the burglary. A search warrant for Canova’s residence was authorized on March 8, and officers found a black duffel bag, snowpants, jacket, stocking hat, and pry bar that matched what the suspect had on their person in the footage.

Canova was taken into custody and made his first court appearance on Tuesday. He has been charged with 3^rd degree burglary.