MINNEAPOLIS — Four juveniles were charged by petition Wednesday in connection with separate incidents connected to a recent surge in armed robberies in the city of Minneapolis.
Two of the defendants, both 16 years old, are being charged in connection with a high-speed pursuit Monday that ended in a crash. Prosecutors say the teens were in a Kia Sportage linked by witnesses to a string of robberies that took place in the city the previous weekend.
A criminal complaint filed against the juveniles says around 1 p.m. Monday police spotted the vehicle driving eastbound on Lowry Ave. N and say the driver was wearing a facemask and a hood tied up around his head. A plate reader in the officer's squad revealed that the Kia had been stolen from a church parking lot one day earlier. The officer activated his lights and began pursuit of the Kia.
Prosecutors say the pursuit wound through the north side of Minneapolis for approximately seven minutes until the driver hit a parked pickup, lost control and crashed into a bus stop. One of the 16-year-olds was caught by an officer, and another was apprehended by a police K-9.
A gun was found discarded at the scene.
Pictures of the Kia show that the steering column was completely torn apart. The suspects are charged with theft of a motor vehicle and fleeing police both in a vehicle and on foot.
The second set of charges involves two 17-year-olds who were detained following an armed robbery early Wednesday. A juvenile petition says officers were called to the 4100 block of Aldrich Ave. N by a person who said he was robbed after meeting with a group of individuals who contacted him through Facebook Marketplace to buy a dog.
Police say the victim told officers five men robbed him at gunpoint, taking $6,000 and his ID before fleeing in a gold Cadillac. The man shared the license plate of the getaway vehicle.
Officers located the Cadillac within minutes and followed the vehicle until it stopped on Camden Ave. N and three suspects jumped out and fled. Police were able to detain the driver, and soon located one of the suspects who fled at a nearby gas station. He was reportedly carrying a large amount of money and wearing just one shoe.
Prosecutors say the matching shoe was located in the Cadillac, along with a Glock pistol with an extended magazine that was equipped with a switch, making it fully automatic. Another 9mm handgun was found just outside the passenger door of the getaway vehicle.
The robbery victim was able to identify both juveniles as being involved in the robbery.
Minneapolis investigators are looking into the possibility that all four suspects might be connected to the weekend robbery spree.
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