Early Sunday was rough for drivers across Minneapolis and nearby suburbs, who woke up to curbs lined with shattered glass after a pre-dawn wave of smash-and-grab break-ins. Officers were sent to nine different locations between about 7 and 10 a.m., and city law-enforcement sources say roughly 38 vehicles were hit in the third and fifth precincts.
Police Work Multiple Scenes, Ask for Video
According to KARE 11, the Minneapolis Police Department said a black SUV is believed to be tied to several of the incidents and is asking anyone with security-camera footage to share it with investigators. Officers spent the morning sorting through reports from neighborhoods that included Cedar-Riverside, as well as a gym parking lot in St. Louis Park.
Residents Describe a Hit-and-Run Operation
Resident Andy Voyen told KARE 11 that “they just smashed [car windows] and it was just a quick operation to see if they can get something.” Voyen said his pickup was one of five vehicles criminals broke into “in less than 90 seconds,” and he estimated that replacing a broken window would cost about $380. He urged drivers to avoid leaving anything of value inside their cars.
Hot Spots for the Weekend Damage
Neighbors counted at least eight vehicles hit in the parking lot of Shewa Grocery & Deli in Cedar-Riverside, and witnesses said about five more were targeted at a gym parking lot in St. Louis Park. Across affected blocks, spare windshields and packed auto-glass shops became the most visible signs of the spree as residents rushed to line up repairs.
Part of a Bigger, Ongoing Pattern
The latest break-ins are only the newest chapter in a recurring pattern of vehicle vandalism and theft across the Twin Cities. Minneapolis police recorded about 15 damaged cars on Feb. 23 and roughly 20 more earlier this month, and investigators say they are still reviewing video and looking for links between the sprees. Similar waves that hit hundreds of vehicles across the metro have been documented by local outlets, as Bring Me The News reported.
Neighbors, Cops and Camera Footage
Auto-glass shops reported a bump in business, while residents said they were combing through doorbell and business camera footage for anything that might help. The Star Tribune noted that police are urging people to call 911 if they spot suspicious activity, and to file a report online or at a precinct if they discover damage after the fact.
Minneapolis Police say they are running directed patrols in the affected neighborhoods and are asking anyone with video or tips to contact investigators through official MPD channels. Timely tips and shared camera footage, they say, remain key to identifying suspects and connecting separate reports into a case they can actually solve.
