Dillon Edward Hoffert, 22, was in the Stearns County Jail Sunday and may face charges of burglary, criminal damage to property and fleeing police.
Residents at the home were awakened by an intrusion, and one climbed out of an upstairs window to call police from a neighbor's house at 4:37 a.m. There were no injuries.
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On Monday September 23 at approximately 11:00p.m, a robbery of a residence occurred in the 5600 block of Blaisdell Av. S. Two suspects entered through an unlocked front door and implied they were armed with guns. The resident and his adult son were assaulted, the phones were damaged, and the items were removed from the home. The suspects left in a red or maroon minivan or SUV-style vehicle.
Suspect #1 is described as a black male with a dark complexion, 18-25yo, 5’11”, thin build, wearing a black zippered jacket with a silver design on the back and dark jean shorts. The suspect used his jacket to cover his face.
Suspect #2 is described a mixed race or light complected black male, 18-25yo, 5’11”, medium to muscular build, wearing a baggy blue t-shirt. Suspect #2 was also using his shirt to cover his face.
Remember please:
For additional crime prevention resources please visit the City of Minneapolis’s website at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.
If you have any additional questions or concerns please contact:
Amy Lavender
Crime Prevention Specialist
5th Precinct-Sector 3
3101 Nicollet Av.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 673-5407
amy.lavender@ci.minneapolis.
A Minneapolis teenager pleaded guilty Wednesday to robbing and kidnapping a man, then leaving him locked in a car trunk for several hours in freezing temperatures last January.
Tavaris Dixon, 18, was sentenced in Hennepin County District Court to 177 months -- nearly 15 years -- in prison for his involvement in the kidnapping of Joel Ganley.
An investigation into a rash of bold Hopkins burglaries in August has substantially grown, and is now affecting several nearby cities in the west Metro, according to police.
At least 25 homeowners in Hopkins have reportedly awoke in the middle of the night after hearing noises and are then threatened with a knife.
Detective James Neimackl said there's reason for concern: The crimes have spread and authorities believe they are all related.
"We do believe they are related in all the cities: Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, St. Louis Park, and some in Minneapolis," he said.
Neitmackl said the department is concerned the burglaries will continue and may escalate in violence.
"A knife has been used in a couple of the burglaries. We believe they are actually knives taken from the home--kitchen knives," he explained.
However, Neitmackl noted that several of the victims have left their windows open, giving the suspects easy access to their homes.
West Metro agencies are encouraging people to lock their doors and windows at night, and keep their phone nearby just in case.
The streak of violence has left residents in several neighborhoods unnerved.
"Very scared, considering in the summer times I’ve left my windows open. Anyone could come into my kitchen if I haven't locked my windows, grab my knife and do the same to me," said Hopkins homeowner Lily Wood.
Other neighbors told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS the suspects may have staked out some of their targets beforehand by knocking on their front doors, in order to test whether the residents were at home.
Police said the suspects usually wear hooded sweatshirts and bandanas over their faces.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hopkins Police Department at (952) 938-8885.
A 69-year-old man was pistol-whipped during a home-invasion robbery Monday in St. Paul's Frogtown neighborhood, police said.
Early reports indicated that the suspects made off with more than $20,000, police spokesman Peter Panos said, but he could not confirm a figure Tuesday. The proceeds were believed to be from the family's check-cashing business.
After pistol-whipping him, one suspect went upstairs. He forced the woman and one of her two girls into a bathroom while he ransacked the office and found the money.
We’re going to discuss using a layered approach to improving the security of your home. Using a layered approach provides two primary benefits. First, it makes 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. Second, each layer adds to your reaction time, either by warning you of an intrusion, or slowing down your intruder. This gives you time to get your family to safety and call 911. Every second counts.
Before we get into the options for home security, I want to define layers, in the context of security. A security layer is anything that provides notice of intrusion, or anything that slows or prevents said intrusion. In plain English, if it slows down an intruder, or convinces an intruder to go elsewhere, or alerts you to an intruder's presence, we’ll consider it a security layer. These layers can be anything from the streetlight on the corner eliminating shadows in our yards, to the monitored alarm systems with sensors on every possible entrance to our houses, to the family dog. Our goal is to convince the intruder to seek easier prey, or failing that, to slow them down enough that we can get to safety and wait for the police without fearing for our lives. We’ll be approaching the layers in the same manner as an intruder, from the outside in.
The first layer an intruder will encounter is an intangible that will never be noticed. This is the most important element in any security system. I’m talking about planning and awareness. The best security system in the world will accomplish nothing if you don’t get it installed before there is an incident or if you don’t know what to do when it is activated. The loudest alarm won’t help if you’re not paying attention when is shrieks.
Plan ahead. Get the alarm installed before you need it. Trim your bushes back, reinforce your front door, and most importantly, develop a plan of action for you and your family. Have a plan of action for your family in the case of a home invasion/hot burglary, much like you would for a fire. Conduct “Invasion Drills” as often as you would conduct Fire Drills. Everybody in the family should know what to do and where to go in the event of a home invasion.
Be alert. If your dog barks, investigate the bark. That’s why you have a dog. If your security lights turn on, look out the window and find out what caused it. Lock your doors and windows if you know you’re going to be less aware for a time. That means lock the door when you take a nap or a shower, or when you will be listening to loud music. Many people let down their guard at home, assuming nothing bad can happen there, that nothing bad can happen during the day. This is simply not true. If you are aware of what is going on around you, you are much less likely to be victimized. I’m not suggesting constant hyper-vigilance 24 hours per day. People need downtime to relax. I am, however, strongly suggesting you take basic precautions before you unwind.
A Winona man was charged with burglary and criminal sexual conduct Friday after he allegedly broke into a random home and molested a sleeping woman earlier this week.
Jason Michael Cieminski, 27, was charged with two counts each of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and first-degree burglary. Winona County Attorney Chuck MacLean said Cieminski is facing a presumptive sentence of between four and five years in prison if convicted.
Bail was set for Cieminski at $200,000 after MacLean argued he was a flight risk and a “tremendous” risk to public safety. He said Cieminski was on felony probation for a second-degree burglary conviction from 2006 at the time of the incident. MacLean said Cieminski admitted he is unable to control his impulses.
Cieminski asked if he could get work release while in jail, but Judge Nancy Bostrack did not grant it.
Farmington police continue to search for the man they say broke into a home and pulled a gun on its owner Sunday afternoon.
The home invasion happened about 3 p.m. near the corner of 195th St., and Everest Path, police said. The owner and his daughter were home at the time, but no one was injured.
The man apparently got into the home through an opened back door, neighbors said. The daughter discovered the man before the suspect held the father at gunpoint.
The gunman fled after getting a small amount of money from the homeowner, police said. Police sealed off the area for several hours Sunday, but were unable to find him.
The man is described as a black man, in his late teens or early 20s. He weighed about 195 pounds. He was wearing black tennis shoes, black pants and a black jacket, possibly leather.
Charges are expected to be filed today against four people arrested in connection with a residential burglary over the weekend in Chisago County, said Capt. Keith Hoppe of the Chisago County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities are still looking for a fifth suspect, a 22-year-old man from Rush City, who also is expected to be charged, Hoppe said.
According to Hoppe, four men kicked in the front and back doors to gain entry to a house on the 52000 block of Government Road in Rushseba Township. The homeowner was sleeping when the burglars came calling at 2 a.m. Friday. She grabbed a 9 millimeter handgun and fired two rounds, but didn't hit anybody, authorities said.
Hoppe said that homeowners "have the right to protect themselves in their homes," but advises that victims not confront thieves and simply call 911.
