Brandon Lee Ingersoll, 33, of Rochester was sentenced on Thursday in Mower County District Court to five years of probation for felony third-degree burglary. He received credit for 124 days served.

He received a concurrent sentence of five years of probation for felony third-degree burglary and gross misdemeanor fifth-degree drug possession.

A charge of felony first-degree burglary was dismissed as part of a plea agreement on Nov. 3.

Judge Christa M. Daily issued the sentence.

Police were alerted at 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 4, 2017, to the possibility of a suspect inside the Austin Daily Herald building. After police set up a perimeter around the building, officers witnessed someone opening and quickly shutting the building’s east door. They then saw Ingersoll exiting the south door of the property and took him into custody.

Officers observed evidence of a burglary inside the building, including open desk drawers and an open door to a safe.

Ingersoll told police he was walking around the building and observed a female inside. He told police there were three other people inside. However, a K-9 sweep of the building found no other suspects.

Officers also found a backpack, which contained a set of keys with the name “BRANDON” on it in the garage area of the building, which was taken into evidence.

The bag contained a computer valued at $500 and several other items from the Herald.

A Microsoft Surface valued at $1,200 was also found to be missing and was believed to be taken when Ingersoll entered the Herald earlier in the morning.

Police executed a search of Ingersoll’s residence on the 500 block of Fifth Avenue Northwest and found the Surface, along with a small amount of methamphetamine, a glass methamphetamine pipe, a “Slim Jim” pry bar and a set of bolt cutters.

Ingersoll was arrested again on July 15, 2017 after he was caught trying to steal meat from a freezer in a garage in the 1200 block of Fifth Avenue Northwest. Ingersoll grabbed a knife and approached the homeowner, who closed the garage door, trapping him inside, and called police.

In addition to the probation, Ingersoll must also perform 80 hours of community service and pay $1,446 in fines and restitution.

A review of Ingersoll’s criminal history shows prior convictions for disorderly conduct, domestic assault, tamper with a motor vehicle without consent and theft.