3 Teens Arrested Following String Of Armed Robberies In The Twin Cities
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Three teenagers are in custody following a string of armed robberies Tuesday morning in the Twin Cities.
The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office says the first robbery happened around 9:30 a.m. on the 700 block of Osceola Avenue in St. Paul. The victim reported that their black BMW SUV was blocked by three suspects, one of which was armed with a handgun. The victim said that they had to pull their child from the vehicle as the carjackers sped off.
The deputies searched for the SUV and found that it was allegedly involved in a recent robbery in Minneapolis.
When deputies found the vehicle near the Minneapolis-St. Paul border, a 17-year-old boy got out of the backseat and ran. Deputies chased the teenager and arrested him near Huntington Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus. The sheriff's office says the teen's criminal history includes weapons charges and aggravated robbery.
While the foot chase happened, another armed robbery occurred nearby. The sheriff's office says the suspect descriptions matched those of the earlier carjacking. The victims also reported that the robbers were in a black SUV.
RELATED: How Technology Can Help Police Track Down Stolen Vehicles
Around 1:30 p.m., the deputies learned the suspect vehicle was in north Minneapolis. With the help of Hennepin County deputies and Minneapolis police, the Ramsey County deputies located the SUV and found the two suspects, both of whom led officers on a foot chase. Both were arrested.
One of the suspects is a 19-year-old man, the other is a juvenile. Both suspects have criminal histories that include auto theft and carjacking, and they are also wanted in connection to another carjacking in Minneapolis.
During the arrests, neither the suspects nor officers were hurt, the sheriff's office said.
The Ramsey County deputies who investigated the string of robberies Tuesday were part of the Carjacking and Auto Theft Unit. The sheriff's office also acknowledged that the arrests were possible due to the collaborative effort between several law enforcement agencies in the Twin Cities.
