Man Suspects Roommate of Stealing Car, Woman Gets Mad at Olive Garden

The following incidents occurred between Feb. 12 and Feb. 17, and were included in the most recent weekly report, sent out on Feb. 23. Specific details come from individual incident reports maintained by the department.

Feb. 12 – A 53-year-old male reported to police that his car was stolen from an apartment parking lot in the 4500 block of West 36 ½ Street. There was no shattered glass found at the scene, and the man said he was missing a set of car keys, so he suspected a roommate. The car was recovered in a Minneapolis pound after it had been in an accident the night before. No charges were filed.

Feb. 13 – Officers responded to the Homewood Suites, 5305 Wayzata Boulevard, for a report of a laptop theft. A 24-year-old woman said she had left the computer, valued at $500, in the hotel’s lobby for an hour. When she returned, it was missing, and staff said they hadn’t seen it. The woman said she suspected staff of taking the computer. Surveillance footage is being retrieved.

Feb. 13 – A 59-year-old woman reported to police that a vehicle had almost hit her in the parking lot. After talking to the woman more, officers learned that she had instigated the situation by chastising another driver for double-parking in a handicapped spot, then hitting her car with a cane. That woman later spoke with Plymouth police and said she had driven away as quickly as she could because the other woman was repeatedly hitting her car with the cane. The case was dropped and no charges were filed.

Feb. 14 – Police responded to The Camerata apartment complex, 5600 Camerata Way, on a report of an attempted burglary. According to surveillance video, four black males wearing masks used a crow bar to enter the building. One of the males appeared to be in his late-20s, while the other three all appeared to be in their teens or early-20s. Two wore dark jackets and dark pants, one wore a camouflage jacket and the fourth wore a dark jacket and a white hat. The men proceeded to an entertainment room and began tampering with a wall-mounted TV when they suddenly left the apartment, most likely because an alarm had sounded. The same four men are believed to have been involved in a similar incident that same day at the Shelard Village Apartments on 400 Ford Rd., as well as several break-ins in the same neighborhood in mid-January. The suspects have not been identified.

Feb. 15 – Police responded to the at 1500 Park Place regarding a laptop stolen from a car. A 26-year-old male said the front, passenger-side window of his car was smashed out the night before. Missing was a laptop valued at $5,000 that the man used for work. No suspects have been identified.

Feb. 17 – Police responded to the 3100 block of Louisiana Avenue on a report of an attempted burglary. A 38-year-old female homeowner said an unknown suspect likely entered through a window while she was gone, then left through the back door. Police found a footprint in the snow outside the window. The residence had been rummaged through, but nothing was reported missing. No suspects have been identified.

Be sure to check with St. Louis Park Patch for daily reports from the St. Louis Park Police Department.