'Where's the dope?' yelled armed men at Lake Elmo home

Armed men were demanding money and drugs when they barged into a Lake Elmo duplex Wednesday morning, dumped gas on the residents and fired a shot that may have grazed the head of their targeted victim, according to multiple felony charges filed Friday.

Richard Paul Delrio, 45; Richard David Keopke, 22, and Roger Lee Trice, 30, all of St. Paul, were each charged with five counts of felony burglary and assault in connection with the break-in. Police said the men knew someone in the house.

According to charges in Washington County District Court:

Victim Richard Jacobson, 42, told police he was home with his girlfriend, his 16-year-old daughter and her 19-year-old boyfriend when he was awakened about 9:22 a.m. by a noise in the hall and spotted two masked men dressed in black and carrying handguns. Jacobson said he fought with the men and was sprayed with gasoline from a soda bottle.

The men yelled, "Where's the dope?" and one tried to enter the room of Jacobson's daughter, who was leaning against the door to keep them out. Jacobson said he was pistol-whipped and heard a shot before he felt a pain in his head as blood ran down his back. Doctors said his scalp was lacerated, but it is undetermined whether the injury was from a bullet graze or the struggle, said Assistant Washington County Attorney Sue Harris.

Jacobson's girlfriend, Rachel Marie Olson, 40, told police she awoke to a commotion and saw the masked men. The shorter of the two dumped gasoline on her. One dragged Jacobson into the hall and yelled, "Gimme the money." She broke out a window screen to escape and, when she looked back into the hallway, she saw one of the men holding a gun to Jacobson's head. She was able to describe the getaway car.

The teenage daughter, identified as M.A.C., was home ill from school. She and her boyfriend, Dexter Alan Peltier, told police that they were asleep when they heard the men yell and demand money. She opened the door to see them struggling with her father. She closed the door, leaned against it to keep the men out, then called 911.

A short time later

The men were stopped a short time later in the parking lot of a motel in Maplewood. A purse belonging to Olson and a gun were in the car.

Delrio and Koepke would not speak to police, but Trice, who a deputy noted smelled of gasoline, told detectives that the other two men picked him up to go job hunting. He first denied knowing about a gun, shooting or break-in, but later said that he didn't shoot anyone and that he'd bought the gun two days earlier. Trice also said that on the day of the break-in, he and Delrio were in the car as Koepke drove to a house where one of Delrio's "guys" lived. Trice said he recalled pulling up to a big house and the other two went inside. They returned about five minutes later, he said. Delrio, carrying a purse later identified as Olson's, got behind the wheel, Trice said.

The three were being held in Washington County Jail.

Jacobson has been convicted of at least five felonies involving drugs in the past 13 years, according to records. He was convicted in 1996 of third-degree drug possession in Washington County. Calls to his home were not returned.

"We are aware of the fact that we prosecuted Mr. Jacobson several years ago for a drug offense, but it doesn't necessarily impact this prosecution," Harris said. "We have not gotten anything from law enforcement regarding possible new offenses on Mr. Jacobson as it relates to this case."

The men charged each have been convicted of crimes. Delrio carries burglary and assault convictions, while Koepke was convicted in 2006 of unlawful possession of a weapon, which is a felony. Trice has seven gross misdemeanor and felony convictions for offenses including drug possession, assault, burglary and weapons violations.

Murder charge unlikely

Despite the shot that was fired, Harris said a charge of attempted murder is unlikely.

"Our ethical obligation is to charge things that we have a reasonable likelihood to prove beyond a reasonable doubt," she said. "It's my understanding that, in this case, there was not enough evidence to be able to say that they came in there intending to kill them."

Harris added that though the invasion was not random, it doesn't take away from its terrifying nature.

"The fact that they apparently knew one another and the defendants entered the house is enough of a concern, but pouring gasoline on the victims, pointing the gun to his head and actually shooting is very concerning."

Abby Simons • 612-673-4921