A Lakeville principal faced more criminal charges Thursday for allegedly taking valuable sports cards from a couple who rent his Apple Valley house.
The new charges filed Thursday came on the same day that Chris Endicott, 50, made his first court appearance on felony charges filed last month in the burglary of a neighbor's home.
Earlier in February, he was charged with a gross misdemeanor for allegedly stalking a police detective who was investigating Endicott over allegations of hacking.
Endicott appeared in Dakota County District Court on Thursday, and the next court date is set for May 31.
Endicott's attorney, Bruce Rivers, previously called the burglary charges "ridiculous" and said authorities "have no evidence that he did it."
Lakeville school officials suspended Endicott with pay in January from his job at Century Middle School while police investigated him for hacking into a phone and iPad belonging to a woman who worked at Scott Highlands Middle School in Apple Valley, where Endicott's wife works as a counselor and teacher.
According to the stalking complaint, Endicott stalked the woman and several others, broke into their homes and vehicles to steal personal information and app passwords. Police said there are at least 10 victims over at least five years and they're not sure why he was collecting the information.
Later in February, after releasing Endicott from custody, Apple Valley police were notified that he had applied to purchase a firearm and had previously left a "goodbye" note on a family member's computer, according to court documents. Police did a welfare check and found he was on his way to therapy.
Police said Endicott made suspicious phone calls to his victims and admitted it was because he was "in a bad place," court documents said.
Then in late February, a felony charge was filed stemming from a burglary at his next-door neighbor's Apple Valley home three years ago. A Lakeville school resource officer found a gold ring, three watches, an antique fork and knife, a class rink, a Mercedes-Benz key ring and thumb drive in Endicott's file cabinet at school — all belonging to them, neighbors said, before being stolen in November 2015.
Authorities said Endicott went missing Feb. 22 and authorities found and arrested him at a fish house in Otter Tail County. According to Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom, Endicott received a medical evaluation at Regions Hospital in St. Paul to determine if he is a danger to himself or others.
Then on March 3, according to second-degree burglary and theft charges filed Thursday, Endicott showed up at the door of a couple who rents a house from him in Apple Valley, revealing a plastic tote with more than $700 worth of sports cards. He admitted he took the items while they were out of the country.
On March 13, the Lakeville school board suspended Endicott without pay.
Staff writer Anthony Lonetree contributed to this report.
