Metro Police Looking for Fast Food Robber

The following incidents occurred between Jan. 29 and Feb. 8, and were included in the most recent weekly report, sent out on Feb. 10. Specific details come from individual incident reports maintained by the department.

Jan. 29 – Police responded to the on Lake Street after a reported armed robbery. The store manager said a black man, wearing a black mask, dark jacket and dark jeans, standing about 5-foot-6-inches to 5-foot-7-inches with a medium build, approached the counter with a gun. The suspect demanded money, and the manager gave him nearly $770 from the store’s safe. The man then left. Police K-9s were used to track his scent, but lost it west of Brunswick Avenue, which is where police believe the suspect entered a vehicle. Police in Golden Valley, Brooklyn Park, Minneapolis, New Brighton and Bloomington are also looking for the man as they investigate a string of other armed robberies at fast food restaurants in recent weeks.

Jan. 29 – A 36-year-old woman reported to police that her friend took her car after the two had been drinking. The woman said she and her friend fell asleep after drinking at home. When the woman awoke, her car and her friend were gone. The woman initially wanted to press charges, but the car was located in St. Paul, and after talking to the friend, the case was dropped.

Jan. 30 – Police responded to after a drunk patron caused a ruckus. A bouncer told officers that a 25-year-old male had been verbally confronting a handicapped customer. The situation escalated, and the man reportedly knocked over a woman at the bar. Four bouncers than removed the man, who scratched and punched at them. He was cited for disorderly conduct and taken to detox.

Jan. 31 – Officers responded to the 2700 block of Webster Avenue South after a 34-year-old man reported that his car had been broken into. An unknown suspect had smashed a passenger-side window, then taken an iPod, as well as two Minnesota Timberwolves season tickets.

Feb. 1 – Police were called to Simply Self Storage, 5605 Cedar Lake Rd., on a report of theft from a storage unit. A 34-year-old man said someone had pried off the latch from his storage unit, taking two plastic tubs that contained roughly 20,000 sports trading cards, valued at $2,000. No suspects have been identified.

Feb. 1 – Police took two reports of theft from vehicles in the 2400 block of Highway 100. The first report involved a 24-year-old woman, who said someone had stolen an iPod and about $500 worth of food that was intended for a food shelf. Her car was not damaged, and she said it was possible that she left a door unlocked. While she was speaking with police, a 31-year-old man said his car was broken into nearby. Missing was a $600 “Magic: The Gathering” card game. No suspects have been identified in either case.

Feb. 2 – A 19-year-old woman reported that her apartment in the 6800 block of Meadowbrook Boulevard was burglarized. Officers found a screen that had been pried from a bedroom window, which is where an unknown suspect or suspects apparently entered. Reported stolen was $550 in cash from underneath the woman’s mattress, as well as a DVD player.

Feb. 2 – Officers were called to Simply Self Storage, 5605 Cedar Lake Rd., on a report of theft from a storage unit. An unknown suspect or suspects reportedly broke open the unit, then stole 123 bottles of liquor — valued at more than $1,300 — as well as an ice shaving machine, valued at nearly $2,000. The unit was being rented by the Bacardi liquor company.

Feb. 4 – Officers were again called to Simply Self Storage. This time, a $5,000 buffet table was reported as stolen after someone apparently broke the latch to a storage unit. No suspects have been identified, though the man renting the unit said the buffet weighs several hundred pounds, leading him to believe multiple people were involved.

Feb. 8 – A home in the 2700 block of Webster Avenue was reportedly burglarized. An unknown suspect or suspects kicked in a door, then took roughly $2,000 worth of items from the living room and two first-floor bedrooms, including a TV, a Wii gaming system and two laptop computers. Police located some footprints in the snow outside the home, but they ended at the edge of a nearby alley, where the suspect or suspects likely loaded the stolen items into a vehicle.