String of Residential Burglaries Plague South Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Burglars have targeted several south Minneapolis neighborhoods in the last two weeks.

Between Aug. 30 to Sept. 5, there have been 16 burglaries in the neighborhoods of Diamond Lake, Hale, Keewaydin, Minnehaha, Morris Park and Wenonah.

Of the 16 burglaries, eight were garages and eight were homes, according to police.

Thieves stole items including bicycles, tools, garden and yard equipment, and jewelry.

In at least three instances since Aug. 30, suspects were able able to enter through an unlocked window or door.

A juvenile suspect was arrested and related to four of the break-ins and a possible suspect has been identified in another case. The other break-ins have no suspect information at this time.

Tips on how to prevent home burglaries:

• Keep your doors locked at all times—even when you are home.
• Be extra cautious about your neighborhood. Trust your instincts.
• Check your windows to make sure they are secured. Basement windows may need additional reinforcement.
• Call 911 if you see anything suspicious.
• Talk to your neighbors about these incidents and ask them to be alert to suspicious activity. We need everyone’s help.
• If you don’t have a block club or it has been inactive, now is the time to get active.
• When electronics or larger items are stolen, providing serial numbers of stolen items to the responding officers is important to help in the recovery of your items and in the prosecution of the suspect(s).
• Take some time now and document the serial numbers of any valuables that have numbers on it.
• Take pictures of your belongings. This would not only help in a criminal case but has helped a few residents filing insurance claims when they had a fire in their home.

Police say if you are a victim of burglary, report it immediately by calling 911.

Inform the responding officers if you see something that may have been handled or left behind by the suspect (cigarette butt, pop can, etc.).

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