Rochester Porch Pirate Pleads Guilty, Drug Charge Dismissed

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A guilty plea was entered today by one of the two people arrested in December after a series of porch thefts were reported in northwest Rochester.

According to court records, Rochester police responded on the afternoon of December 18 to a report of people taking packages from doorsteps in the area of 7th Street and Lake Ridge Drive Northwest. The criminal complaint states that a witness was able to provide detailed descriptions of the "porch pirate" suspects and their vehicle.

The court document says police located the vehicle in a nearby parking lot, where 41-year-old Cherish Portillo and 37-year-old Jay Ernst were taken into custody. The criminal complaint says the packages stolen from the nearby homes were not recovered, but a search of the vehicle turned up approximately 50 grams of methamphetamine. Police also reported finding three replica BB guns.

Ernst and Portillo were both charged with felony mail theft and second-degree drug possession. Portillo today entered into a plea agreement and admitted to the mail theft charge in exchange for the dismissal of the drug charge.

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She is scheduled to be sentenced next month. The plea agreement recommends a stayed prison sentence and probation.

The criminal case against Ernst is still pending.

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