A Brooklyn Center man was arrested after police say he fell asleep while inside a vehicle he was attempting to steal from a used car dealership.

Spring Lake Park Police responded to Carmotive, a dealership on Hwy. 65 NE, on a report of damage to a vehicle around 10:30 a.m. on March 25. While attempting to show customers a 2013 red Subaru in the lot, an employee found a man sleeping in the passenger seat, according to the criminal complaint.

Carmotive’s manager told police there was significant damage to the steering column and console area during the apparent car-theft attempt. The damage is estimated at more than $5,000.

Dean Alan Bergren, 43, was arrested at the scene, where police say they found 22.5 grams of marijuana in plastic baggies sticking out of his pockets. After being taken to the Anoka County Jail, police also found eight pills of Clonazepam, a drug for seizures and anxiety, according to the complaint.

Bergren was charged with first-degree criminal damage to property, a fifth-degree controlled substance crime and possession of marijuana — two felonies and a misdemeanor.

Over the past 25 years, Bergren has been convicted more than a dozen times for domestic assault, terroristic threats and disorderly conduct. He was previously convicted of motor vehicle theft in 1990.

Liz Sawyer