Crime & Safety

Read: Criminal Complaint in Case of Alleged Groping of Girl at Wal-Mart

Defendant Nathan William Charles Jones is out of jail on $100,000 bail bond.

Updated below. The man charged with at the on Dec. 26 is out of jail.

Nathan William Charles Jones, 29, of Columbia Heights, posted a $100,000 bail bond Tuesday night, according to the Anoka County Jail. and held over the holiday weekend.

The terms of the $100,000 bail amount include a no-contact order, according to David A. Cossi, chief deputy county attorney. A larger bail amount option did not include the no-contact order, he said.

Find out what's happening in Fridleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The conditions included "no contact with the alleged victim, her family or any unsupervised contact with minors," according to KARE11, although Cossi said he couldn't confirm those details.

The Anoka County Attorney's Office with one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Find out what's happening in Fridleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Jones' next court date is Feb. 1, a hearing at which Cossi said a court date could be set and defense attorneys can ask for an omnibus hearing to raise objections to evidence.

The evidence in the case is likely to include store video, which law enforcement  said shows the defendant stalking the victim in the store, touching her, then leaving the store quickly. Police released still images of the suspect but did not release video.

The criminal complaint credits tips from the public following the release of the still images with helping investigators identify Jones as the man they suspect in the alleged crime.

Criminal Complaint
Here is the text of the Statement of Probable Cause portion of the criminal complaint against Jones (edited to avoid identifying the alleged victim):

During the early afternoon hours of December 26, 2011, 11 year old [alleged victim], her sister and mother ... went to the Wal-Mart located on University Avenue if Fridley, Anoka County. While in the store, in the electronics department looking at DVD's, [the alleged victim] states an adult male came up behind her and grabbed her buttocks with his hand. [The alleged victim] said she could feel the man's fingers going between the cheeks of her buttocks. [The alleged victim] immediately told her mother about the incident. Store officials and the police were notified. [The alleged victim] gave a description of the male, who she did not know, which included clothing. [The alleged victim] detailed the man was white, had a goatee, a hat with flames on it, a darker jacket and Nike shoes.

Store surveillance video was obtained and shows a male matching the description given by [the alleged victim] following [the alleged victim] and her sisteer around the store. The male also appears to be watching the girls as they move about, including when they went to a drinking fountain. The male appears to be looking at DVD's while the girls are visible nearby at the fountain. The male continues to watch the girls near the DVD's. Shortly thereafter, the male is seen approaching the girls and making contact with [the alleged victim]. [The alleged victim] clearly reacts to the contact and is then talking to her mother. The male is then seen leaving the store without making any other stops or product purchases. The video is of such a quality that the male is easily seen.

Police received multiple tips about the identity of the male after the images were displayed by the media. One such male, Nathan William Charles Jones (DOB: 10/27/82), the defendant herein, closely resembles the description and the store video. Investigation showed the defendant had a prior incident in a Target store where he was alleged to have touched a female's buttocks and said "excuse me", and then left the store without a purchase. The defendant also has 2 prior convictions for Indecent Exposure, involving females.

On December 30, 2011, a search warrant was executed at the defendant's residence in Columbia Heights. Located within the residence was a dark knit cap with flames on it, a brown jacket which appears similar to that in the video and jeans and shoes consistent with the video. Also located was a handwritten note about the video surveillance systems at Wal-Mart.

Cossi said he didn't know more about the handwritten note mentioned at the end of the statement of probable cause.

Update (Wednesday, 12:30 p.m.): In an email, Fridley Police Lt. Mike Monsrud shed some light on the handwritten note that investigators said they found when they searched the defendant's home:

It appears as if the suspect did some reconnaissance on the video systems at Wal-Mart. This goes to show his premeditation and also helps link him to the crime.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.