Thieves target high-end houses in Sunfish Lake, including home of former Viking
SUNFISH LAKE, Minn. — After a string of brazen burglaries, many residents remain on edge and on alert.
High-tech thieves are targeting high-end homes, including those of professional athletes.
"I hate to say it but I think the community is on edge" John Johannson, a Sunfish Lake resident, said.
Johannson is a former NHL player and Wisconsin standout who became one of four recent targets.
Coming home to a second-floor broken window and busted safe, with his valuables gone.
"It's in Kansas City, it's in Milwaukee, it's everywhere. It's with athletes, it's on the west side of town, east side of town" Johannson said. "They've been breaking glass on second levels, getting on the roof."
In Kansas City, Super Bowl champs Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were hit. In Milwaukee, NBA player Bobby Portis posted this video of thieves at his home.
In Sunfish Lake, former Vikings defensive lineman Linval Joseph is among the victims.
"We're looking at cases across the metropolitan area and across the county to determine whether or not the time frames match up," West St. Paul Police Chief Brian Sturgeon said.
According to West St. Paul police, who cover the area, there is a common theme within the break-ins.
"The big thing is, is they know when the residences aren't occupied," Sturgeon said.
In September, WCCO reported on 12 different law enforcement agencies working together to investigate more than 60 similar burglaries in high-end neighborhoods.
"We kind of have a full-court press on investigating this," Sturgeon said.
The mayor of Sunfish Lake stated in a recent Security Alert:
Many of you may have already heard but we had a third burglary last night at 300 block of Salem Church Road. You may have seen the police had K-9s and helicopters as well as 15 officers searching throughout SFL last night using powerful floodlights to shine into the woods.
Again, a reminder to set your security alarms whenever leaving your property, even for short trips. Until these burglaries can be stopped (and I can assure you the police, Dakota County CIS and the FBI are doing all that they can to find the perpetrators) I ask all of you to be especially vigilant around your property. Especially the wooded areas since it is believed the burglars are accessing the property from surrounding woods and call the police with any suspicious activity.
We are hoping to schedule a presentation by the Flock Security System representatives at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at First Calvary Baptist Church, right before our City Council meeting which begins at 7:00 PM. For the many of you who showed up at the recent Public Security meeting it is the system for city-wide protection that many cities are installing. We would like as many residents to attend that meeting as possible to ask questions. The Council would intend to vote on that system at our Council meeting to immediately follow.
Johannson has one piece of advice for his neighbors.
"You think you've got a safe, I'd caution everybody... do you need what's in there? Cause look what they can do to it," he said.
