Man Found Hiding In Minneapolis Restaurant Freezer: Police

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — One of the people charged with a felony in connection with last week's looting in downtown Minneapolis had been found hiding in a restaurant freezer, according to police.

Officers at Second Avenue South and South Tenth Street said they saw people leaving a nearby restaurant during Wednesday's vandalism and looting.

One person, Hanz Williams, 23, was seen crawling out of the broken front glass door holding a metal container filled with bottles of alcohol, police said. Williams told officers that "he was the only one looting in the group," a criminal complaint said.

However, officers went into the restaurant and found Martell Nicole Tolbert hiding in a freezer within the restaurant, according to police.

Williams, of Burnsville, and Tolbert, 41, of Bloomington both face charges of third-degree burglary.

If convicted, they face up to five years in prison or a $10,000 fine.

Civil unrest sparked by misinformation

Vandalism that Wednesday night began after a man fatally shot himself. There were unsubstantiated claims made on social media that police shot him.

In a rare move, the city quickly released video of the graphic incident on social media, citing the need to quell rumors and end the civil unrest. The video was taken down Thursday morning.

Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey both condemned the vandals in late-night news conferences and told people downtown that they must return home.

A total of 132 people were arrested by multiple agencies on various offenses that included riot, burglary, damage to property and curfew. Vandals damaged dozens of businesses downtown and in the Loring Park neighborhood.

Read more:

• Photos: Downtown Minneapolis Recovers After Wednesday's Vandalism
• Vietnamese Restaurant Owner Decries 'Heartbreaking' Vandalism
• 10 More People Charged In Downtown Minneapolis Vandalism