Mpls Home Invaded in Broad Daylight

Wednesday, 30 Dec 2009

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/Mpl-Home-Invaded-Broad-Daylight-dec-30-2009

MINNEAPOLIS - Minneapolis Police are investigating a home invasion that occurred at noon Wednesday in the Shingle Creek neighborhood.

The home is located at the 5100 block of Washburn Avenue.

Three men in ski masks attacked Fred Baker in the alley, and then ransacked his home.

"I was taking out the trash and three guys came up to me and tied me up with duct tape,” said Baker. “And they left me in the garage."

Baker was hit on the head, but not seriously injured. One of the suspects had a mouth filled with gold teeth.

Home invasion in SE Rochester, intruder holds homeowners at gunpoint

Dec 24, 2009

http://www.kttc.com/Global/story.asp?S=11728229

Lt. Muyres says the gunman then handed the weapon to his partner while he took off a screen and crawled inside a window of the home. A couple living at the home were both asleep inside, and the noise of the intruder awakened the woman, who confronted him in her son's bedroom. She ran to wake up her husband, who then found the gunman making off with the PS3 gaming system. The intruder crawled back out the window and the men fled.

Two St. Paul Invasions

December 21, 2009

http://www.twincities.com/news/ci_14042153

Man breaks into two homes in St. Paul's North End, attacks occupants
By Mara H. Gottfried
mgottfried@pioneerpress.com
Updated: 12/21/2009 12:54:54 PM CST
St. Paul police are searching for a man who broke into two homes this morning, assaulted a homeowner in one case and tied up an elderly resident and her 4-year-old granddaughter in the other.

Both incidents occurred in the 1000 block of Barrett Street North in the North End neighborhood of St. Paul

The first break-in occurred around 8:20 a.m. today.

The homeowner's wife was outside the home shoveling snow. Police believe the man went into the house through the unlocked back door, said St. Paul police spokesman Paul Schnell.

Inside, the homeowner and assailant fought. The man hit the homeowner in the head with something and the victim sustained a laceration, Schnell said.

Police do not know if the burglar took anything before he fled. A neighbor called police and the homeowner was taken to Regions Hospital to receive stitches and treatment for the head injury.

Police responded, checked the area and didn't find the attacker.

A short time later, around 8:30 a.m., a woman in her 80s heard a knock on the side door of her house. She went to check and saw a man walking away. She shouted to the man to see what he needed. As the woman started shutting the door, the man forced his way in.

Inside, he shoved her around. He then tied the woman and her 4-year-old granddaughter together. They estimate he was there for about an hour before he left with the woman's purse, cell phone and blue four-door Chevrolet Lumina, with license plate VMA131.

After he left, they hopped together to the kitchen, got their legs untied and called for help.

The child was not injured. The woman reported chest pains and paramedics checked her at the scene. She did not need to be hospitalized.

Police are asking anyone who sees the Chevy to call 911 and not approach the vehicle. The suspect is described as a black man in his mid-30s to early 40s, about 200 pounds, 6-feet tall. He had a nearly bald head, facial stubble and was wearing a black jacket, black shirt, black jeans and black shoes.

Police are searching for the attacker and processing the crime scenes.

Police are looking into whether these cases are connected to an earlier case in which an elderly St. Paul woman was robbed and tied up for hours at her Highland Park home before being rescued.

Supposedly one man and two separate invasions.

Man breaks into Phillips West home, sexually assaults 2 girls

December 18, 2009

http://www.startribune.com/local/79585917.html

In what Minneapolis police are calling a highly unusual attack, a man broke into a residence in the Phillips West neighborhood early Thursday and sexually assaulted two teenage girls.

Police weren't releasing a more specific location for the attack, which happened after 4 a.m. The neighborhood covers an area between Interstate 35W and Chicago Avenue S. and between E. 22nd and Lake Streets.

"All the information we have as of now leads us to believe that the suspect is not known to the family," said Sgt. William Palmer, a police spokesman.

Man charged in brutal robbery in south Minneapolis

December 15, 2009

http://www.startribune.com/local/79274762.html

He was found Saturday covered in blood in his apartment building hallway, crying for help with more blood gushing from his head.

The 52-year-old man told Minneapolis police that he was thrown into a mirror hanging on his wall, his wallet taken and his apartment ransacked by two men who knocked on his door on the 1800 block of Stevens Avenue S.

On Monday, a 47-year-old Minneapolis man was charged in Hennepin County District Court in the brutal attack.

Armed Home Invasion Targets Prescription Drugs at Fond du Lac Residence

Dec 13, 2009

http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/local/79180777.html

A home armed invasion over prescription drugs has landed one suspect in jail.

The incident happened Saturday afternoon at a residence on the Fond du Lac Reservation.

Witnesses say a masked gunman entered the home and demanded prescription drugs.

One of the victims struggled with the suspect outside and a single round was fired.

No one was injured.

A short time later a 26- year old Minneapolis man was taken into custody.

81-year-old St. Paul woman found tied up 7 hours after home invasion

12/07/2009

http://www.twincities.com/news/ci_13946153?source=rss

A man tied up an 81-year-old woman during a St. Paul home invasion robbery today and it was at least seven hours before she was found with her hands and legs bound, police said. The woman was not injured.

The man apparently used a ruse to break into the woman's home in the Highland Park neighborhood, said Sgt. Paul Schnell, police spokesman.

The woman, who was not sexually assaulted, told police that early in the morning, before sunrise, she heard a noise near her front door in the 1100 block of St. Paul Avenue. Sunrise was 7:37 a.m. Monday.

When the woman went to check, she saw a man at the door. He said her neighbor's home was being broken into, and asked her to call police.

As the woman turned to phone police, the man broke a window near her front door, reached inside and unlocked the door. The man pushed her to the floor and demanded money, police said.

The woman gave the man money from her purse and asked him to leave, but he demanded more, police said.

The man brought the woman into her bedroom, pushed her onto the bed face-down, tied her hands behind her back and bound her ankles together, Schnell said. He rummaged for valuables in her home for at least an hour, the woman told police.

Police haven't found a connection between Monday's case and other incidents, Schnell said.

"It's obviously concerning — he was aggressive with this woman, he tied up her, he refused to leave even after she gave him a small amount of money," Schnell said.

This is a disturbing reminder that cooperation doesn't guarantee your safety. Criminal, by definition, do no play by society's rules.

Security in Your Home, Conclusion

We’ve discussed using a layered approach to improving the security of your home, making your home too much work for the “casual” burglar. Most burglars will take the path of least resistance. Multiple layers of security remove your home from that path.

• Use effective lighing.  Don't leave potential entry points in shadows.  That's a good working environment for a burglar.  Make sure you can see what you need to see. 
  
• Use effective locks on quality doors.  Try to keep bad people out of your home.  Don't make a criminal's job easier. 
  
• Install an alarm system.  Don't let an intruder in to your home unannounced.  Monitored, unmonitored, or four-legged, don't be caught unaware. 
  
• Have a safe place to retreat.  Install a solid door to your bedroom and charge your cell phone there at night. 
  
• Get some training.  Regardless of your chosen means of self defense, learn how to use it effectively.
  

Have you done everything you can to make yourself safe?

Wounded St. Paul homeowner shoots, hits 1 of 2 intruders

December 3, 2009

http://www.startribune.com/local/78408847.html?elr=KArksD:aDyaEP:kD:aUzyaUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUs

One of two men suspected in a home invasion in St. Paul that led to gunfire being exchanged is in custody this morning after being shot by the homeowner, police said.

Another suspect remains at large, said police spokeswoman Janet Dunnom. The wounded suspect was treated at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis and then taken to the Ramsey County jail and booked.

The homeowner suffered a "grazing wound" from one of the suspects late Wednesday, Dunnom said.