Twin Cities weekend crime recap

Photojournalist Rebecca Brannon again captured mayhem in downtown Minneapolis late Saturday night as police received several reports of fireworks being launched at people in the University of Minnesota area.

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Crime Watch MN
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Minneapolis Fire Department responds to a fire at the site of an earlier homicide (Minneapolis Fire Dept.)

A 16-year-old student was charged in Ramsey County Court after bringing a gun to Como Park Senior High school in St. Paul on Thursday. Police responded to the school just before 12:30 p.m. on a weapons call, according to dispatch audio.

According to charges filed in a juvenile petition Friday, the student said he brought the gun to the school, which is located at 740 West Rose Avenue, “for protection because he and his cousin were in an altercation the day prior,” Pioneer Press reported. No threats had been made and no one was injured, but a concerned parent contacted police after seeing the firearm in an unzipped satchel on a city bus. Police responded to the school and isolated both teens and recovered the 9mm firearm in the student’s satchel.

The student pleaded guilty in a Friday court appearance to one count of possession of a pistol by a person under age 18 and was placed on probation. The 17-year-old cousin was arrested for possession of brass knuckles, the report said.

Brooklyn Park police reported that a gunshot victim showed up at the hospital Thursday shortly after police responded to a report of shots fired about 9:10 p.m. on the 5500 block of Brookdale Drive. BPPD said the adult male victim suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound and provided officers with limited information. Police said they recovered several spent shell casings at the original scene, and a fence was damaged by gunfire. No arrests had been made at the time of the report and police continue to investigate.

Two people were shot in Minneapolis Thursday night in separate incidents, according to dispatch audio. The first occurred about 8:30 p.m. on the 2600 block of Penn Avenue North where a victim was reported to be shot in the stomach. Police later told media that the man suffered a life-threatening gunshot wound, and no suspects had been arrested at the time.

Minneapolis police responded to another shooting about 11 p.m. Thursday on the 1800 block of 14th Avenue South. The female victim was reportedly shot in the hip during a robbery attempt, according to dispatch audio. The suspects were reported to be two unknown race males in ski masks who fled in a gray SUV. Police told the dispatcher that one suspect had an “automatic” handgun with a green laser and the other had a handgun with a drum magazine. Further dispatch audio indicated an approximately 29-year-old female was transported to the hospital with a “through and through” gunshot wound to the outside hip area. A clip of audio was later posted online that was reported to be the gunshots from the incident. No public statement was issued by police on the shooting.

A White Bear Lake registered sex offender was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison late last week for possession of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.

Justin John Mitchell (Sherburne County Jail)

U.S. Attorney for the district of Minnesota Andrew Luger announced the sentence of 28-year-old Justin John Mitchell who had pled guilty in June to two counts of possession of child pornography.

According to court documents, Mitchell was found in possession of thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse on two different occasions on or around August 2019 and January 2022. Among these were depictions of the sexual abuse of prepubescent minors. Mitchell was under supervision for child pornography possession from an earlier Ramsey County case at the time of the offenses.

Mitchell’s sentence will be followed by 15 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution, and $3,000 to a victim assistance fund.

The Minneapolis Police Department asked the public’s help on Friday to help identify a suspect vehicle involved in a hit and run earlier this month that resulted in serious injuries to the pedestrian victim.

Suspect vehicle in a Minneapolis hit and run (Minneapolis Police Dept.)

The incident occurred on Oct. 16 at approximately 2:48 a.m. at the intersection of 26th Street North and Lyndale Avenue North.

MPD says the suspected vehicle is a 2010-2016 Black Jeep Compass, and the vehicle will have specific damage to the left bumper area, below the left head light. The photos provided are from West Broadway and Lyndale Avenue North. Police initially stated in their post that the incident resulted in a fatality, but Alpha News has since confirmed with MPD and the family that the victim, TJ Reierson, is still alive and is recovering from his serious injuries. A spokesperson from MPD confirmed in an email that the information about the fatality was stated in error.

Police ask anyone who sees this vehicle on the road or knows its location to please call 9-1-1. or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted online at www.CrimeStoppersMN.org. All Tips are anonymous and persons providing information leading to an arrest and conviction are eligible for a financial reward.

The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office reported that a St. Paul traffic stop on Friday for speeding, 50 mph in a 30-mph zone, resulted in the discovery of oxycodone pills and three illegally possessed loaded guns.

The incident took place about 11:20 p.m. when a deputy stopped the Dodge Durango on Minnehaha Avenue, just west of Western.

RCSO said when the deputy approached the Durango, he saw a baggie full of suspected drugs inside, and the occupants were asked to step out of the vehicle. Inside, deputies found oxycodone pills and three illegally possessed guns.

They reported one was a Glock with an extended magazine capable of holding 30 rounds. Another was a 9 mm “ghost gun” with no serial number, an extended 40-round magazine and a switch, which renders the gun into an automatic weapon. The other gun was a 9 mm Taurus. All three guns were loaded, and all three had rounds in their chambers.

RCSO said five people in the Durango were arrested for a variety of crimes, ranging from possession of a firearm by someone under 18 to possession of a firearm with no serial number to possession of a machine gun.

No information was immediately available on whether all arrested parties were minors under age 18.

Several people were shot in Minneapolis in just hours from Friday afternoon to early Saturday morning, including the city’s 72nd homicide victim.

Three people were shot in a drive-by shooting near East Lake Street and Hiawatha Avenue about 3 p.m. Friday. The victims included a 15-year-old South High School student, a 65-year-old woman, and a 19-year-old male. Police said all had sustained potentially life-threatening injuries. No suspects were immediately apprehended, and it was later reported that over 60 spent shell casings had been found at the scene.

Just before 9 p.m., Friday MPD responded to a report of a person shot in the chest on the 800 block of Portland Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. Information was aired by police that the victim had been carjacked and shot. Further audio indicated that the 21-year-old male victim was shot in the chest with an exit wound through the arm. The suspects were reported to be a black male and black female. The victim’s current condition is unknown.

MPD responded about 11:30 p.m. Friday to a report of a person shot in the head on the 2700 block of 15th Avenue South. MPD later updated that the victim had died as a result of his injuries and that no one was in custody at the time of their report. MPD said an altercation between parties known to each other escalated to gunfire. Friends and family have since identified the decedent as Frank Joseph Ortley, 35. The house where the victim was found later went up in a blaze early Saturday morning (top photo). Neither the Minneapolis Fire Department nor MPD have confirmed whether the homicide and subsequent fire are related.

Just before 1:30 a.m., Saturday police reported that shots were fired on the 400 block of Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. Two victims were initially located, one 18-year-old female shot in the foot, the other person reportedly shot in the leg. A third victim was reportedly located by EMS on the scene. Dispatch audio indicated that the second victim walked away and refused medical services. Minneapolis police later confirmed to media that two people had been shot in the incident including the 18-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy who later showed up at the hospital. Both were reported to have non-life-threating wounds.

Just before 3 a.m. Saturday, a shooting victim showed up at HCMC, according to dispatch audio. Information on the details on the original location of the shooting and the victim’s condition were not immediately available. However, Minneapolis police had been dispatched to a report of a shooting about 2:30 a.m. at Blue Line Flats apartments on the 2300 block of 32nd Avenue South. Police found no victim on site at the time after checking all floors. It’s unknown at this time if the two incidents are related.

Brooklyn Park police reported Saturday that they responded to a robbery of person about 3:45 p.m. on the 7600 block of Scott Avenue North. Officers met with the resident who reported he had been walking along Scott Avenue when he was approached by another pedestrian who asked him for money. The suspect then implied he had a weapon and threatened to shoot the resident if he did not give him money. The suspect was last seen headed north on Scott Avenue from the 7600 block. Officers set up a perimeter and checked the area with a canine unit; however, the suspect was not located at the time, they said.

The suspect was described as a 30-year-old slender black male wearing an orange hooded sweatshirt and carrying a black jacket. Weapon was implied but not seen. BPPD asks anyone who may have doorbell video of the suspect around 3:45 p.m. to contact them.

The University of Minnesota Twin Cities issued a safety alert Saturday regarding an indecent conduct incident at Middlebrook Hall, 5th floor West Tower. They said around 11 p.m., a suspect looked into a stall where the victim was showering. The suspect was described as unknown gender with shaggy black hair and glasses. They urged students to be cautious.

Both Friday and Saturday nights on frat row at the University of Minnesota, there were reports of groups throwing fireworks at the frat houses on the 1600 and 1700 blocks of University Avenue Southeast, according to dispatch audio. When police arrived in the area on Friday, police told the dispatcher that they received a report that people in the group made threats to kill and assault the people at the frat houses.

Reports of fireworks being thrown at the frat houses surfaced again Saturday night. EMS was also dispatched to the area just after midnight Sunday on a report that a person was injured from fireworks being thrown at them. Further audio indicated that a 19-year-old female was transported to the hospital with “minor traumatic injuries to her legs from fireworks.”

About 1:13 a.m. Sunday, the dispatcher aired to Minneapolis police that several 911 callers reported fireworks were being thrown at people and that a group was trying to kick in a door and light fireworks on the 1200 block of 7th Street Southeast. The dispatcher said the people throwing fireworks were wearing white masks and also stated that someone was injured. One officer aired that a group they had dealt with prior was a group of seven to 10 Somali males in “Scream” masks and wearing all black.

When police arrived at the residence, they said one victim had a concussion from an assault. A brief safety alert was issued by the university on both incidents just before 2 a.m. Sunday.

Minneapolis dispatch aired at least two other reports of fireworks being thrown at people in Dinkytown outside a pizza restaurant on the 1200 block of 4th Street Southeast at approximately 1:45 a.m. and 2:45 a.m. Just before 3 a.m. Sunday, a group of four people called 911 from Pioneer Hall on campus and reported that they had been injured by fireworks near the pizza restaurant. University police arrived and told dispatch that three or four people needed to be seen by EMS. Further information about the extent of injuries to those parties was not immediately available.

Independent photojournalist Rebecca Brannon again captured mayhem in downtown Minneapolis late Saturday night and into Sunday morning as crowds spilled from the bars on Hennepin Avenue.

Several fights or assaults were recorded as well as one apparently unresponsive victim being hauled out on a stretcher from the crowd by police and medics. At one point, police can be seen spraying a chemical irritant to disperse a crowd of people. Information was not immediately available on the extent of injuries to the party hauled out the stretcher, and it’s unknown if any arrests were made.

A Robbinsdale heavy metal guitarist was killed early Sunday by a suspected wrong-way drunk driver while on the way home from a gig in Wisconsin.

Mark Filbrandt, 54, was involved in the crash just after midnight Sunday on I94 near Hudson, Wisc., that shut down a portion of the highway for several hours, according to the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office.

Mark’s band, Gorrified, posted on Facebook late Sunday confirming the death.

Alexandria, Minn., resident Amber Lea Pospisil, 31, was arrested and is being held in the St. Croix County Jail on probable cause charges of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and driving the wrong way on a divided highway.

Court records show Pospisil was convicted in Oct. 2021 in Douglas County on a gross misdemeanor count of DWI. Charges in that case say Pospisil was found to have a blood-alcohol level of .296 after she was involved in a crash in Jan. 2021 that resulted in injuries to parties in another vehicle.

Under the terms of a plea agreement, two other DWI charges were dismissed and Pospisil was ordered to serve zero time by Judge Timothy M. Churchwell. Pospisil was instead placed on unsupervised probation for a term of three years.

A media report states the initial investigation indicates a Toyota Corolla was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes when it struck a Toyota Rav4 blocking all lanes near Hudson. Several others were reported to be injured, but information on the extent of their injuries was not immediately available.

Eagan police made a plea Sunday morning and again on Monday for information about a missing 23-year-old male last seen between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Sunday leaving the area of Coachman Road and Yankee Doodle Road. Bryce Borca was wearing a patterned cardigan sweater, black pants, black tie and white sneakers. Police said several other agencies have been assisting in the search. Police are asking people who live in the area to check their properties, businesses and security cameras. If you have any information about his whereabouts, please contact Investigative Specialist Bryan Hughes 651-675-5827.

The Minnesota State Patrol posted information about the results of their weekend traffic enforcement that took place in the Twin Cities Friday night to early Saturday morning and again Saturday night to Sunday morning.

On Friday, MSP made 81 traffic stops to help combat dangerous driving and street racing, they said. They noted three cases where parties were cited or arrested:

  • A 24-year-old woman stopped for racing on the freeway. She was cited and told troopers it was the “last night of fun for the summer.”
  • A 24-year-old man arrested after a search of his vehicle revealed marijuana and an uncased and loaded 9mm handgun in the driver’s door. The handgun was seized.
  • A 23-year-old man was cited for careless driving after intentionally zig zagging around barricades.

MSP said on Saturday night they made arrests for DWI, warrants and fleeing police, including:

  • 20-year-old man arrested for DWI. His 33-year-old passenger had felony warrants.
  • 66-year-old man arrested with felony predatory offender warrants.
  • State Patrol aviation helped track a BMW that was fleeing from local agencies. The driver was arrested.

They also made stops for excessive speed, including:

  • 115 in a 55 mph zone.
  • 111 in a 60 mph zone. The driver had a revoked license.
  • 104 in a 60 mph zone. The driver had a revoked license.

The Chaska Police Department reported Sunday evening about a search for a suspect who fled from deputies with the Carver County Sheriff’s Office as they attempted to investigate a stolen vehicle. The incident began around 8:30 p.m. when a search for the suspect ensued in a wooded area between Canyon Road and Engler Boulevard, off Highway 41. The State Patrol’s flight division assisted in the search. Chaska police updated just before 10 p.m. that the suspect had not been located and the search had ended. No suspect details were offered, and they said there was no public safety concern.

An Amber Alert was issued by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension late Sunday night for a two-year-old child who was reported to be kidnapped from Apple Valley by his non-custodial father, Shannon Ingram.

The vehicle the suspect fled in was later found by authorities abandoned in St. Paul.

Following a continued overnight search, the child was located safe, along with Ingram, at an address in north Minneapolis where MPD assisted the BCA in recovering the child around 2:30 a.m. The child was returned to his mother and Ingram was arrested.

Shannon Ingram (Dakota County Jail)

Ingram, 30, was booked into Dakota County Jail on probable cause counts of kidnapping and violation of a domestic abuse no contact order and remained in custody Monday afternoon.

Around Minnesota

Stanley Joseph Broussard, 31, was charged in Nicollet County Court on Thursday with nine felony counts related to sale and/or possession of controlled substances involving suspected fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana.

Stanley Joseph Broussard (Nicollet County Jail)

The Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office posted about Broussard’s arrest on Facebook and said that in early October, agents with the Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force were called to assist with a suspected opioid overdose in Mankato. Lifesaving measures were taken, and the person survived. Task force agents located a substance in the residence that field tested positive for the presence of fentanyl.

The discovery and subsequent investigation led agents to Broussard, who resides in Mankato. A short time later, agents conducted a controlled purchase of cocaine and fentanyl pills from Broussard.

Authentic oxycodone pills, top and counterfeit pills, bottom (Dept. of Justice/Drug Enforcement Agency)

On October 25, Task Force agents began a surveillance operation on Broussard and observed Broussard traveling as a passenger in a vehicle driven by a female that was tracked to Minneapolis. The vehicle stopped in Minneapolis for approximately two minutes and traveled directly back toward Mankato. When the vehicle entered the City of St. Peter, agents directed the vehicle to be stopped. Broussard was taken into custody and was found to be in possession of 38 bindles of cocaine, totaling 54 grams, and 325 blue “Mbox 30” fentanyl pills, the statement said.

Broussard appeared at a bail hearing on Thursday and was granted a public defender. Court and jail records show that a conditional release bail amount was set at $150,000 and Broussard is no longer in custody. Broussard is scheduled to make his next court appearance on Tuesday, Nov. 1.

Dustin Lee Grinder, 41 was arrested Friday in Moorhead, Minn., after police stopped a vehicle on the 400 block of 20th Street that they suspected of being involved in shooting out the windows of a vehicle.

Dustin Lee Grinder (Clay County Jail)

According to charges filed in Clay County Court on Monday, A Chrysler Pacifica had been observed leaving the scene where a vehicle’s window had been shot out, and the victim had followed the suspect vehicle and reported its location to law enforcement. A search of the vehicle by police produced needles and a 4-gram bag of a white substance that field tested positive as methamphetamine. Charges say Grinder was the only passenger in the vehicle, and the items were located where he was sitting. Police also located a simulated firearm in the back seat of the vehicle that was uncased. Grinder has been charged with one felony count of fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance.

Court records show Grinder has three prior felony convictions on tampering with anhydrous ammonia, a charge related to first-degree controlled substance, and violation of a no contact order.

Grinder remained in custody Monday afternoon, according to jail records, but court records indicate that Judge Steven Z. Lange has ordered Grinder conditionally released with zero bail required.

The Chisago County Sheriff’s Office reported that K9 “Kyro” assisted in tracking down a driver Friday night who had fled from a vehicle crash. Information on the arrested party was not immediately available.

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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.

 

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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.

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