The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

The local Minneapolis propaganda organ, aka Red Star, has pushed their pro-homosexual agenda to the back burner briefly in order to manipulate public opinion on the latest hot topic, illegal aliens.

You don't have to look hard to find stories of illegals running roughshod over the Southwest United States. The flood of "undocumented" Mexicans and OTMs (other than Mexican) is overwhemling national and state resources, and causing deep animus from affected residents.

Obviously, all illegals are not bad people, but the sheer numbers guarantee more than a few that are.

So it's clear there are two sides to the illegal immigration story: the good people coming here to make a better life, and the bad people here to, well, do what bad people do.

Guess which one side the Red Star chose to portray?

The Good.

That's right, only the good side: "Faces of the illegals", complete with photos of happy, smiling illegal immigrants.

Juan is fresh from Mexico, still a bit shaken over his run-in with immigration last month. Carlos and Margarita are a well-educated suburban couple who've been here five years.

Jacobo Montero is the son of a U.S. citizen. Raul Negrete managed a fast-food restaurant staffed mainly by illegals like him.

The term "illegal alien" conjures up images of people lurking on society's edge. But in reality, the situation is far more complex.

Not that there aren't people like this, but it's not the whole story. These aren't the people threatening our nation's sovereignty, security, and society.

An honest broker would show both sides, then let the reader decide. The Red Star didn't.

The Bad.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports the arrest of an illegal alien for a series of rapes and sexual attacks going back two years: "Illegal immigrant held in 2 attacks".

FORT WORTH -- An illegal immigrant in federal custody since his arrest early this month on traffic warrants was arrested Thursday in connection with a string of rapes and other sexual attacks dating back to December 2004, police said.

His hands and legs shackled, Jose Carrillo, 30, was transported from federal custody Thursday afternoon and arrested by Fort Worth police on warrants in two of the Fort Worth rapes. Police say DNA evidence linked Carrillo to the two attacks, plus a rape in Arlington. When asked by reporters if he committed the offenses, Carrillo said no, adding that he has a wife and a baby on the way.

This guy is really a nightmare. He's flying under the radar, ruining lives, and living the criminal life in America, when he should be in a jail in Tijuana or somewhere south of the border. Now we have to pay for his incarceration.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, police obtained a warrant for a DNA sample from Carrillo. On Wednesday, Detectives C.B. Smith and S.L. Schloeman were notified that his DNA matched biological evidence recovered from the June 17 rape of a woman at the Meridian apartments on Marine Creek and the Jan. 24 rape of a woman in the 1000 block of N.W. 28th Street.

In addition, police said, Carrillo's DNA matched evidence from the Dec. 19 rape of a woman at the Windcastle Apartments in southeast Arlington.

It's disingenous for the Red Star to ignore the dark side of illegal immigration. It's not a story that is easily missed, especially a large-scale news operation, unless you're trying not to look.

The Ugly.

From whence they came.

Pre-Katrina New Orleans was a crime-infested city. Post-Katrina New Orleans is reverting to form: "As Life Returns to New Orleans, So Does Crime".

NEW ORLEANS, March 29 — The wail of police sirens is back, and gunfire again punctuates the night. As drug dealers move into flood-damaged houses, alarmed residents say that in the last few weeks, they have begun to sense a return to the bad old days before Hurricane Katrina, when crime was an omnipresent straitjacket on life in this city.

Residents played dominoes recently on a street in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. Storm evacuees have returned, but so has crime.

In a city that once led the nation in homicides per capita, crime has long been a leading indicator of New Orleans's health and prospects — an unavoidable part of the equation for a walk around the block or a trip to the grocery store.

That diminished greatly after the storm, when several hundred thousand people were evacuated. But there are signs that the past may be returning, with a new twist.

Police officials say the landscape of abandoned houses, stretching block after block, after Hurricane Katrina is being incorporated into a revived drug trade, with the empty dwellings offering an unexpected convenience to dealers returning from Houston and Atlanta.

Now that is ugly. No more needs to be said, except that Minneapolitans can relate.

Lawlessness Begets More Crime

You've read on this blog more than once that when a culture of lawlessness is allowed to prevail in Minneapolis (or anywhere for that matter), the ramifications go beyond the immediate area. Criminals know no borders.

So for quite some time, Minneapolis has allowed criminals to run wild with little to fear; there is little inhibition when it comes to comitting crime inside the city. The cops scoop them up, put them in jail, then a liberal judge lets them return to the streets in short order.

KSTP News reports a very good reason why it's not only the citizens of Minneapolis that should be concerned about the culture of crime, so too should the good folks in the surrounding areas: "Crime increases significantly in Hopkins", with Hopkins being a close-lying suburb of Minneapolis.

Crime has increased in Hopkins nearly 90 percent in the past year, mainly due to older teens, arrest records indicate.

Robberies increased from 11 to 21, burglaries from 74 to 143, thefts from 309 to 437 and vandalism increased from 303 to 419.

Wow. Those are Minneapolis-like percentage increases.

The owners of Max’s Liquors say their window was broken just days after vandals threw a brick through their front door.

"I don't know if we just don't have a good enough system in place, or if they just know they won't get caught," says owner Carrie Nelson.

No, Ms. Nelson, there is not a good enough system in place. Your neighbor to the east is a virtual crime factory. Ask the mother/nurse whose eye was shot out. Ask Mr. Zebuhr's survivors. Ask Mr. Dahl's surviving children. Ask the hardware store employee who was savagely beaten while walking at a reasonable hour around one of Minneapolis' "jewels", Lake Harriet. Ask the associate editor of Minneapolis St. Paul magazine who was mugged while getting food at a grocery store in Uptown a couple of days ago.

Ask any of the growing Minneapolis victim pool members, and the answer will be: not enough is being done.

Police and other business owners say the increase is due to people traveling through the city.

"We are a pass through community as well, so the people who are committing the crimes aren't necessarily residents of the area,” says Connie Kurtz of the Hopkins Police.

There you go. "People passing through the area".

Most likely from Minneapolis

Meanwhile, the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis campus, is not immune from the surrounding city's lawlessness: "Thieves drive up numbers of cars stolen near U".

Auto theft has increased throughout Minneapolis and around campus.

Steve Johnson, deputy police chief for the University Police Department, said that although the number of motor vehicle thefts has increased from 2004 to 2005, it’s still a small number compared with other crimes on campus, such as theft, which is the top campus crime.

If it's not nailed down, it's gone.

That's the Minneapolis culture of crime.

Have You Been Mugged In Minneapolis Today?

Hat tip to Octaneboy for yet another Minneapolis mugging story:

Steve Marsh, who is described on his blog as an associate editor for Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine, was mugged outside of Kowalski's grocery store in Uptown, Minneapolis on 3/27/06. This is less than 10 days after Clemson University student Michael Zebuhr was slaughtered after leaving an Uptown restaurant, of which I've written about extensively.

One incident ended in tragedy, and the other ended with a better outcome, but with a likely loss of the victim's sense of security. The troubling commonality between these crimes is that they both happened in "prime time", both involved very innocent activities, and both could have happened to any of us.

Mr. Marsh had just returned from Peru, and was out to pick up some food:

Got back from Peru yesterday, and in a sitcom-ish bit of twist, I got mugged in front of Kowalski's last night. Jesus, right? A guy survives the dirtiest favelas of Lima, not to mention the dodgiest two-mile-high cocaine-clogged dance clubs of Cuzco, only to be robbed in Uptown. It was the first time I've ever been mugged, and it was an interesing existential checkup. In that situation you find out just how much of a wuss you really are. It really was emasculating and whiteboy-izing and just generally humiliating. It felt like airballing in a pickup game with the brothers at the Y.

There's a lot of people getting their "first muggings" in Minneapolis these days. Mr. Marsh can take heart in that he's got a lot of company in the Minneapolis crime victim pool. Thankfully he was not injured physically.

I sat down in my new Peruvian llama jacket at one of those iron mesh patio tables just outside the door in order to drink my POM and eat my tuna fish sandwich. About halfway through, I felt a pair of hands press gently on my shoulders and heard, "Hey, man, how you doin'?" I thought it was a friend welcoming me back from Peru. I run into people all the time at Kowalski's. But then he said, "No, don't look back. Just stay there."

Criminals prey on the unsuspecting. They take advantage of your vulnerability. Many urban dwellers are alert for crime, but you can't be on 100% of the time. And after all, who would expect to get mugged outside an upscale grocery store at a reasonable hour?

Do you think they're media savvy enough to realize that there are some scared white people in Uptown right now? People that might be willing to hand over a wallet without having to show them a gun?) So this guy rifled through my llama coat’s pockets and took my wallet out and handed it to another black guy that appeared in my line of sight. "Where the money at, man?" this new guy asked.

Yes, criminals seem to hold the advantage at this time. By the way, the game has changed. You're no longer safe just giving up your money. In theory, this means if you are threatened, even with a gun, you may have to fight back. Of course, that's an individual decision, but the stakes are now higher.

The resoultion of this crime is interesting. Some criminals don't expect you to fight back. Maybe that's a small advantage the good people have.

At that moment, I turned around, pushed both of them out of the way and made two long strides toward the electronic doors. They stood around 5'–8" and I looked down at both of them. In that instant, both their eyes got big, like in the "racial" comic relief moment of old black-and-white movies. They probably didn't expect the violent agility of this big white guy rumbling down the lane at them, Mark Madsen style.

It gets a little worse, because these guys also hit someone up at the Lunds store a few blocks away, and appear to remain on the loose. This outcome was good, but maybe the next time it doesn't turn out so well.

It's a bad scene in Minneapolis, folks. The Mayor is nowhere to be found. The police chief is fleeing to Texas, and the criminals are running wild.

Good luck out there.

Good News On The Justice Front

The Red Star reports a nice tie-up to a hideous Minneapolis crime which happened on August 13, 2005: "2 plead guilty in hit-run death at Minneapolis gas station". I reported on this story here, here, and here.

Here's the Red Star's account:

A man and a woman involved in a fatal hit-and-run at a south Minneapolis gas station pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder.
Simone K. Stillday of Minneapolis admitted running over Evelyn Geng, 62, after Stillday's passenger stole $50 from Geng at the MotoMart, 3301 Hiawatha Av. S.

Stillday, 24, is expected to receive 23 to 30 years in prison when she is sentenced May 2 by Hennepin County District Judge Harry S. Crump.

Tyreese L. Baker, 29, of St. Paul, who admitted stealing the $50, is expected to receive 12½ years in prison when he is sentenced May 2.

It's not really enough time, but I'm glad these sewer rats are off the street and in prison where they belong.

Geng, who lived about a mile from the MotoMart, had gone into the store to pay while her son filled their car with gas the afternoon of Aug. 13, 2005. While Geng was waiting in line, Baker grabbed a $50 bill from her hand.

Baker said he had been drinking and using crack and marijuana before the robbery.

He said he grabbed the money, ran out and got into the back seat of Stillday's car before Stillday drove over Geng. Baker said he felt two bumps as the car sped off.

"I was a little shocked and scared of what happened," he said. "If I knew that she was going to be run over, I would have given her the money back."

A very sad case.

How long will it be before our friend Nick Coleman, or our friend Doug Grow, or our friend Ruben Rosario writes an ode to these criminals about how their life of abuse and despair drove them to these acts which were committed in a moment of weakness and now they regret it?

I wouldn't put money against it.

Liberal Conspiracies

I was wondering why Rambix and the Red Star was suddenly getting hits from the Democratic Underground, and with a couple of clicks I had the answer. Our lefty friends have been running with a conspiracy theory, as I originally pointed out in this post, following the murder of Michael Zebuhr in Uptown, Minneapolis.

You can read the thread here.

I like this warning on one of the posts about this site: "Warning: Michelle M is a link on their site."

Horrors!

Culture of Corruption

Moving along from from the Minneapolis culture of crime to the Minneapolis culture of corruption.

Many of you may have seen seen my Minneapolis liberal criminal's list (here), and my previous stories on the corruption in the Minneapolis City Council, and more specifically Councilman Zimmerman, of whom today's Red Star story is about: "Details of City Hall bribery case get airing today".

Gary A. Carlson once alerted Minneapolis police that his older brother planned to set fire to Carlson's bar to collect a share of the insurance money. The brother, who was caught leaving Gary's Pub just after a fire was set, went to jail for a year.

Nearly three decades later, Carlson played informant again, this time in a case that has drawn far more scrutiny -- a corruption scandal at Minneapolis City Hall [Ed. - Just the latest].

It keeps getting uglier.

Carlson's role last year in helping the FBI investigate Dean Zimmermann, who at the time was a City Council member, is expected to come into sharper focus today at a court hearing on the bribery allegations. Zimmermann's attorney is seeking more information about Carlson -- a real estate developer and the unnamed "cooperating witness" who assisted the FBI.

The two men are the central figures in a case that rocked City Hall.

The case also cast a shadow over Zimmermann two months before he faced voters in November -- an election that he narrowly lost. Now there are hints that the case may be widening.

There's a lot of detail in this latest story by David Chanen and David Furst of the Red Star, too much to summarize here, but, in short, it's not pretty.

Will we continue to tolerate the culture of corruption of liberals, and the culture of crime allowed to fester by liberals in Minneapolis?

Crime & Quality Of Life

It's no news that Minneapolis is beset with violent crime (has anyone heard from the mayor yet, by the way?), but the general increase in property crimes sometimes gets lost under the radar.

When a city is allowed to lapse into a culture of lawlessness, and criminals feel comfortable plying their trade, there is a pernicious effect on the quality of life for residents, visitors, and workers.

Frequent and insightful Rambix contributor Margaret Martin, who along with Taxpayers League of Minnesota President David Strom run Our House blog, writes about their experience with a garage break-in in Minneapolis.

Most people would consider this crime low on the scale, but let's consider that for a moment. Do we feel that way because it's so common? Do we feel that way beause it doesn't threaten us personally?

It's a quality of life crime. It's a crime we should not accept, no matter how minor. Margaret describes various methods they'll have to take to defend their own home. Their peace of mind has been assailed. Their freedom has been attacked.

And if you think it only affects Ms. Martin and Mr. Strom, you're wrong. Their insurance company paid for the damages, but that pool of money is fed by all he rest of us, and that's why rates keep going up.

This is the pernicious effect of crime.

It should be obvious to anyone but liberals that crime needs to be supressed from the bottom up. This is the "broken windows" theory that Mayor Giuliani used to clean up New York City. You can't allow small crimes to flourish, because bigger crimes follow. The theory was proven with spectacular results.

Minneapolis crime affects everyone in the metro area. It affects everyone in the state, because "out-staters" often visit the city for one reason or another. It affects anyone else who visits or does business in Minneapolis. Recent Uptown murder victim Michael Zebuhr was from Pennsylvania; he didn't leave the state alive.

So are we going to tolerate the Minneapolis culture of crime?

A Murder Mess And a Shabby Shooting - Updates

Police have made arrests in the bizarre Hwy 494 crashed-Cadillac murder: "Arrests made in Bloomington murder".

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) - Two 18-year-olds, one man and one woman, have been arrested in the shooting death of a 23-year-old man whose bullet-riddled body was found in a car on Interstate 494 on March 25, Bloomington police said Monday. They are Matthew Benjamin Oothoudt, 18, and Maria Michelle Big Bear, 18.

This crime is very Minneapolis-like, despite the fact that it took place close to the border in Bloomington.

Frankly, I'm more concerned that there are idiots like these running loose in our city than I am with them hurting anyone other than themselves:

Oothoudt and the victim, John Charles Roberts of Welch, were riding in a vehicle with several other people about 4 a.m. when Oothoudt brandished a gun, which prompted a struggle, police said.

The suspect allegedly shot Roberts several times then fled the scene in another vehicle. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner has said Roberts died of a gunshot wound to the head.

The driver of the first vehicle, with Roberts still inside, fled the scene and got into an accident on I-494. The other people in the car fled, leaving emergency responders to find Roberts' body.

It's hard to believe we're sharing living space with some of these creatures.

KSTP News has an update on the teenagers who were shot in North Minneapolis last Sunday night: "Two Minneapolis teens remain hospitalized after being shot".

Two teens, ages 15 and 17, are in serious condition at North Memorial Medical Center after being shot Sunday night in an apparent robbery attempt. It happened about 10 p.m. at the notorious north Minneapolis intersection of 26th and Knox. When police arrived both victims had fled the scene [??] and were found about a block away were they'd collapsed.

Monday, investigators returned to the area and retrieved a videotape from a corner store. It's believed an outside surveillance camera taped the shooting as it happened.

[Photo courtesy KARE 11 News]

There's still no explanation given as to why these two teenagers weren't at home doing their homework on a school night.

Marshele Payne has the same thoughts:

Marshele Payne said hearing gunfire out her window is all too common. But she said even if the two teens shot Sunday night are innocent victims, "they should have been in the house, in bed and then getting ready for school, instead they were out in the street and that makes you wonder where their parents are."

Sometimes we reap what we sow. God bless you Marshele for showing us that common sense is not dead.

Finally, is it time to call for reinforcements?

The intersection of Knox and 26th has seen its share of crime over the years. After a series of violent crimes in 2003 city and state leaders descended on the neighborhood and promised action. Several extra State Patrol officers were called in to work the streets. But now, residents say, the problems are back, "it's an ongoing thing, it seems like it'll never stop."

Two Boys Shot In Minneapolis Robbery

The Red Star got a rare scoop on an armed robbery in North Minneapolis that resulted in the shooting of two juveniles: "Two Minneapolis boys shot during armed robbery".

Minneapolis police are on the hunt this morning for suspects after an apparent armed robbery led to the shooting of two juvenile males last night in Minneapolis.

The boys, who were not identified, were taken to North Memorial Hospital with injuries that police would not disclose, according to media reports.

Their ages were not revealed. It appears that the investigation is still hot:

Minneapolis police Lt. Brad Sporny told reporters at the scene that robbery was the apparent motive. "But this is very early in the investigation," he said.

There's no indication why two juveniles were out on the streets after 10pm on a school night, or where their parents were.

An incident which occurred over the weekend in Bloomington is a real whodunit. There was a murder with a crashed vehicle, a dead body, bloody people, and several crime scenes. Bloomington police are investigating, as KARE 11 News reports: "Bloomington Police still investigating bizarre weekend murder".

Police were still searching for suspects Sunday in the shooting death of a 23-year-old man whose body was found in a car on Interstate-494 a day earlier.

"This is probably one of the more confusing crimes or police calls I've seen in quite some time," said Bloomington police Lt. Kevin Hinrichs.

No arrests had been made by Sunday afternoon. But police had interviewed several suspects, including a handful of people seen entering a nearby Comfort Inn with bloodstained clothing. Police believe the victim was shot at a different hotel.

How a man who was shot at a hotel manages to find himself in a crashed car on the freeway remains unknown.

The investigation began about 4:20 a.m. Saturday after state troopers responded to a single-car crash on eastbound Interstate 494 at Chicago Avenue South. It appeared the car struck a barrier and ended up in a ditch.

A 23-year-old man, who was not the driver, was found dead inside, Hinrichs said. Troopers then realized the man had multiple gunshot wounds.

About the same time, Bloomington police learned that several people wearing bloodstained clothing walked into the Comfort Inn hotel, Hinrichs said.

Police questioned those people, as well as a woman whom Richfield police later found on Interstate 35W just north of I-494. She also had bloodstained clothing.

Based on their early investigation, police said the 23-year-old man had been shot outside the Embassy Suites hotel on 34th Avenue S. in Bloomington. It was unclear when the man was shot.

The victim was shot in the head.

There appears to be no shortage of suspects, many of whom were covered in blood. That's a problem.

Rambix' working theories: (1) Drug involvement. (2) There will somehow be a Minneapolis connection. (3) The people involved have criminal histories.

Uptown Victim Mourned And Interesting Background Revealed

Minneapolis crime victim Michael Zebuhr was mourned tonight at a vigil in Uptown, Minneapolis at the site of the shooting, as noted by KARE 11.

If anyone has a report on the vigil, I'll post it. Send me an email - rambix@ix.netcom.com.

Some human-interest news has come to light, which should in no way diminish the impact of the savage killing of Mr. Zebuhr. I bring this to light only to show some interesting background of Mr. Zebuhr, and also what some left-wing conspiracy nutjobs are already saying about this terrible crime.

It seems that Mr. Zebuhr was a member of Scholars for 9/11 Truth, an organization that believes "the World Trade Center was almost certainly brought down by controlled demolitions".

S9/11T members are convinced their research proves the current administration has been dishonest about what happened in New York and Washington, D.C.

These experts contend that books and articles by members and other associates have established that the World Trade Center was almost certainly brought down by controlled demolitions and that the available relevant evidence casts grave doubt on the government's official story about the attack on the Pentagon.

They believe that the government not only permitted 9/11 to occur but may even have orchestrated these events to facilitate its political agenda.

S9/11T encourages its members to vigorously express their concerns on this score through lectures, conferences, symposia, articles, and books as well as other access routes that publicize their findings.

Michael Zebuhr is listed on this page as a "Student Member".

...[snip]...

Jonathan Wilson (SM)

Criminology, University of Winnipeg

Trevor Ycas (SM)

Natural resources, Geographic information systems, Front Range Community College

Michael Zebuhr (SM)

Bioengineering, Clemson University

That website appears to have only recently begun, but already gets substantial hits:

Not only was Mr. Zebuhr a student member of that organization, he was "Perhaps the most active student member of "Scholars for 9/11 Truth"", according to Silencer of The Counter Crusade blog. Silencer speculates sinister motives for the killing:

Michael Zebuhr was walking with his mother when two men with weapons asked for his mother's purse. She handed it to them without resistance and he did not try to do anything. Then they shot him twice in the head. Why shoot him if they had the purse and he didnt do anything? Twice in the head? They must have really wanted him dead.

A website called Humint Events Online furthers the nutjob theory of conspiracy:

He was also a member of 9/11 Scholars for Truth:
Michael Zebuhr (SM)
Bioengineering, Clemson University

So... since when do two muggers hit on a group of four people, then randomly shoot one of the people in the head when the money is given and there is no resistance?

According to this story, he was shot twice in the forehead.

UPDATE:More on Zebuhr here.

Police have caught three suspects.
posted by Spooked at 10:08 PM

7 Comments:
James Ha said...
that sucks. that is very sad news.
right in front of his family.

I might as well say it: I would imagine that if someone wanted to send a message to the scholars, that was the perfect way to go about it; I mean, dr. griffin would be too obvious....

1:24 AM
Rob said...
sounds very much like a message being sent/a "Company" hit to me...remember, the 9/11 perps MURDERED 3000+ of my fellow Americans...you think they would hesitate one f*****g second before "Offing" one lowly college student????

please...

these are F*****G MURDERERS we're dealing with here....and never lose sight of that fact, nor get 'lost' in too much esoteric & intellectual realm 9/11 research that you become desensitized to the fact we are investigating cold-blooded MURDERERS.
this is not a game.

the 9/11 Perps ARE NOT 'PLAYING'...

3:17 AM

We mourn Mr. Zebuhr as an innocent victim of the Minneapolis criminal element. His background is merely interesting, nothing more and nothing less, but worth noting nonetheless.

May he rest in peace.

Anger In Uptown

Anger is the best antidote to crime (that's why conservatives are better at crime control than liberals - we're angry all the time!).

If there's no anger, no outrage, no insult to the conscience, then criminals will have the upper hand. The Uptown murder of Michael Zebuhr has struck a chord in a way we haven't seen for some time.

For those of you not familiar with the area, Uptown, Minneapolis is ground zero of liberalism. It's significant if you can get the peacenik, liberal, fuzzy-thinking Democrats stirred to action over real crime (as opposed to perceived crime).

Fellow MOB member and self-described converted Republican pinkmonkeybird lives in the Uptown area, and has some observations about the crime scene and an upcoming vigil (tonight!). It's not clear whether the police will provide armament, or if you're expected to bring your own. See JB Doubtless with questions.

KSTP News reports that Uptown residents are starting crime patrols:

In response to the March 18 killing of Michael Zebuhr, many Uptown residents are adopting crime prevention techniques learned from nearby neighborhoods.

A program in the Lyndale neighborhood has placed citizen patrols on the streets for 15 years, and will soon be expanded to include more Uptown areas.

"Where we are, they aren't," says Michael Montrose, an original member of the walking squad and a Vietnam veteran.

Nearly 200 people have signed up for the increased patrols.

The Mayor should take note. This activity is indicative of the fear and anxiety many Minneapolis citizens are feeling. The savage murder of Mr. Zebuhr has activated the sense of self-preservation in Uptown residents who have dismissed prior Uptown violence as an anomoly.

The fallout of this crime is significant, and the Mayor and Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar need to take proactive steps to rid the city of the criminal scum.

WCCO News reports that Uptown businesses are hiring their own security:

Some businesses in the area are preparing for the first weekend since Michael Zebuhr, 25, was shot during a robbery attempt.

The businesses are hiring off-duty police officers to patrol neighborhood streets where visitors park.

So this is where it stands. Remember, the criminals are still out there. Take heed, remain alert, and stay safe if you must visit the city.

If The Watcher, pinkmonkeybird, or anyone else who attends the vigil and can recap it in an email to rambix@ix.netcom.com, I'll post it later. I'm interested to know the tone of the meeting - I'm hoping for white-hot anger and a steeled resolve to crush the criminal element, but I fear that might not be the case.

Mayor Rybak's Proxy Responds

Since the Mayor is MIA, his proxy has responded in his stead to an email from Rambix reader Craig:

Dear Mayor Rybek,

I have been reading in the papers and the weblogs of the crime, murder and robbery spree by Somali Muslim Clan gangs in Minneapolis along with drug murders for the last several months.

You must do something about it with heavy police patrols and shooting first and asking questions later. The recent almost murder of a man with his family leaving an
Uptown restaurant and you Office doing nothing to stop this barbaric monsters roaming our streets has left me no choice be to close my business affairs in your city and any merchant residing in your city.

Do something or suffer the consequences about crimes in Minnapolis.

Craig [snip]

The response is from Jared Nordland of the Mayor's office:

Hello Craig,

Mayor Rybak forwarded by your e-mail and asked that I respond to your concerns about crime. Minneapolis faces few challenges as complex and challenging as violent crime. Yet nothing poses a greater threat to our quality of life. The mayor takes very seriously every act of violence and loss of life in Minneapolis. No level of crime in Minneapolis is acceptable. The recent shooting in Uptown is appalling and the Minneapolis police department is applying every available resource to respond to this
senseless attack.

Already, our robbery task force and homicide unit have more than a dozen officers working on the Uptown shooting. Our police officers are increasing patrols on residential streets to enhance police presence throughout the neighborhood. The Strategic Tactical Operations (STOP) division which last summer attacked crime in Uptown will continue to respond to emerging crime trends in Uptown and throughout the city. The citywide STOP team assists every police precinct on the north and south
sides of town. In the city's 2006 budget, we funded an additional 71 police officers and the first academy of new officers will begin hitting the street in June. These new officers will be applied throughout the city.

We are also strengthening partnerships that leverage our resources and intensify our presence in key areas throughout the city such as Uptown. These partnerships are critical, and include the Uptown business association's off-duty police officers in the area and the CARAG neighborhood association beginning volunteer "stroll patrols" by the end of March.

If we work together and target our resources, we can continue to make progress and reduce serious crime in all parts of our city. Public safety is and will remain our top priority so that we can realize our goal of everyone feeling comfortable walking down any street in Minneapolis.

Thank you, Craig, for e-mailing the mayor about your concerns and please feel free to write the mayor or myself again.

Thanks again,

Jared

Jared Nordlund
City of Minneapolis, Office of Mayor R.T. Rybak
Room 331, City Hall
350 South Fifth Street
Minneapolis, MN 55415
(612) 673-3363 phone
(612) 673-2305 fax
jared.nordlund@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

I fear that the ideas proffered in Jared's letter are band-aids on a gushing wound. There is a systemic problem with criminals in Minneapolis. You can squeeze them and push them down for while, but the pathology remains.

Uptown Murderers Still On The Loose

As the news reports fade, it's important not to forget the Minneapolis murder victim, Michael Zebuhr.

The effects of random violent crime are far-reaching. The pain, fear, and trauma the survivors of the robbery/murder must be feeling is unimaginable. To see a loved one slaughtered in front of you is something no human should endure.

The effects of the crime have sent shock waves through the city and beyond.

WCCO News reports the difficulty two Uptown residents have in dealing with the murder: "911 Callers Traumatized By Uptown Murder".

(WCCO) Minneapolis Police continue their intense search to find the killers of a visiting graduate student who was shot in the Uptown area of Minneapolis last weekend.

Michael Zebuhr, 25, was shot in the head during a robbery attempt Saturday night.

Witnesses who called 911 are still traumatized by what they saw.

The witnesses to the aftermath of this crime are also victims, and their lives may never be the same. It's especially troubling because the criminals remain free.

"Every time you walk down the street, you remember the night that it happened and what you saw that night," said Kris Houlton who called 911.

"I think it's been kind of difficult for me, just experiencing that in my own neighborhood," said Susan Kang, who also called 911.

It's nice to read that the bystanders helped as much as they could. One hears about indifference to crime, and people not wanting to get involved. That was not the case here.

When the roommates and other neighbors saw how severely Zebuhr was injured, they sprang into action.

"There was a definite crowd of people," Houlton said. "It wasn't as though they were abandoned."

Many used their cell phones to call for help. 911 records show one caller said, "Brother shot in head ... not breathing."
...

Less than a week later, emotions on Girard Avenue run deep for the family.

"I hope they know that the people on our street sincerely feel so much compassion for them," Houlton said.

This article brings some hope amid the sorry mess of Minneapolis.

MIA: Minneapolis Mayor Rybak

A high profile murder has occurred in the heart of a major entertainment district of his city. Minneapolis is awash in violent crime. His office tells us he is on vacation. No one has heard a word from him, despite non-stop media coverage of criminals running amok. And this is a time when the city needs a leader more than ever.

Has anyone seen the Mayor of Minneapolis?

Shooting, Armed Robberies Near University of Minnesota

Think your children are safe around the University of Minnesota campus?

Maybe it's time to reassess; this from the Minnesota Daily: "Three robberies, a shooting reported this week near U".

First this:

On Monday night, two boys, who were reported to appear to be about 15 years old, approached a student walking home from class by the intersection of 10th Avenue Southeast and Fifth Street Southeast. According to the report, the suspects said they had a gun and demanded the student’s wallet.

The student gave them the wallet and both suspects fled on foot. The student received no injuries.

Then this:

About 1 a.m. Sunday a recent University graduate was robbed on Sixth Street Southeast.

James Satter said he was walking home when two men ran up to him and pushed him down.

“The next thing I remember is I was on the ground and they were kicking me in the head,” Satter said.

The assailants tried to get his wallet, Satter said, but they didn’t put their hands far enough into his pocket to get it and ran off with nothing.

Satter said he spent the night at Hennepin County Medical Center because of a concussion.

Satter has been a resident of the area for about 12 years and never has experienced anything like this before, he said.

According to the report, the suspects are described as being in their late teens to early 20s. [Ed. - and...?]

And this:

About 1:35 a.m. Saturday a University student was robbed while smoking a cigarette on his porch.

Doug Weber, a global studies sophomore, was on his front porch on Eighth Street Southeast when two men approached him and asked for cigarettes.

Weber said he gave each of them one. The men then started asking him where the parties were at. Weber said he didn’t know.

The men then came on the porch, lunged at him and hit him, Weber said.

The men said they had a weapon and would shoot him if he didn’t give up his wallet.

“I was cooperative with them,” Weber said.

Weber said that after the attack, the men wanted him to go with them, but when he started to resist, they got into a car and drove away.

And this:

According to a police report, a shooting occurred about 4 a.m. Sunday at Santana Foods on University Avenue Southeast.

Jeremy Wessing, a cook at Santana Foods, said that about 2:30 a.m. three men came in to order food.

While they were there, they started harassing women in the shop. The owner asked them to stop.

One of the men got in the owner’s face and they started yelling at each other, Wessing said.

The owner escorted the three suspects out, Wessing said.

About 3:45 a.m., when there weren’t any customers in the store, employees heard a window break, Wessing said.

When the owner and Wessing went outside to look, one of the same men from earlier in the night was there, police said.

Ron Reier, the public information officer for the Minneapolis Police Department, said that when the owner went outside, the man confronted him with a handgun.

According to the report, the suspect shot at the owner and the owner shot back. Neither person was hit.

Wessing said that as the suspect was walking away, he slipped and at that point the owner could have killed him, but didn’t.

But he did fire at the car as the suspect was leaving the scene and blew out a tire and a window, Wessing said.

KSTP News also reports: "Three robbed near U of M in past week".

A series of violent robberies has occurred recently in neighborhoods near the University of Minnesota.

Police say at least three students have been robbed in the vicinity in the past week.

One student says he was approached by two men, one of whom said he had a gun.

“The guy over here said, ‘Yo, yo, I'm going to shoot you if you don't give me all that you got.’”

The student did not have enough money, causing the robbers to become violent.

Two of Three Uptown Murder Suspects Released

From a 3/23/06 Minneapolis Police Media Advisory:

Contact: Ron Reier, Minneapolis Police Department, 612-673-2995

Two of the Three Arrested Released………..

(Minneapolis, MN March 23, 2006) Two of the three people arrested for their involvement in the March 21st incident have been released from custody pending further investigation. All three were believed to be involved in a low speed pursuit and three handguns were recovered.

· Aiesha Camille WILLIAMS, DOB: 02-09-1983, 1301 Highway 7, Apt #127, Hopkins remains in custody and was criminally charged with “Fleeing”.

· James Michael WALKER, DOB: 08-22-1978, 2938 Morgan Avenue North, Minneapolis and Omari Kwakou THOMAS, DOB: 08-16-1978, 2920 Northway Drive, Brooklyn Park, have been released from custody pending further investigation.

This case will require further investigation. At this point, no connection is being made linking this case to any other case being investigated.

Mug shot is available on WILLIAMS, but not WALKER or THOMAS..

# # #

This means the bad guys are still out there.

Also, Fox 9 Televison News at 5:30 reports an arrest of several Somalis by undercover officers. Masks and at least one gun recovered in their vehicle.

More on this story later.

Katherine Kersten Weighs In On Minneapolis Crime

The premier columnist of the Red Star, Katherine Kersten, weighs in on the Uptown murder and the general crime trend in Minneapolis. If you judge the effectiveness of this conservative columnist by her ability to work the liberal masses into a frothing lather, then she is the best. For proof, read the letters to the editor section after one of her insightful, no-holds-barred columns.

Today's column is titled: "Increased crime requires better fighting methods"

A young man has been gunned down in Uptown. Folks who live there, or frequent the area's trendy shops and restaurants, are shaking their heads. They worry about what summer will bring.

Things don't have to be like this in the City of Lakes. I realized it a few months ago, when two newspapers with very different headlines landed on my doorstep on the same day. A headline in the Dec. 31, 2005, New York Times announced, "Crime Numbers Keep Dropping Across the City." The Star Tribune headline read, "Serious Crimes Up in Twin Cities."

That's an excellent and effective contrast. A number of local blogs have noted that the Minneapolis violent crime numbers are inverse to national trends.

The Times story reported that crime dropped in New York City for the 17th consecutive year in 2005. Robberies were down more than 75 percent from their peak in 1990.

In Minneapolis, by contrast, reported serious crime rose 13 percent, and robberies jumped 22 percent in 2005. Today the climb continues.

In the days after the Uptown shooting, it was reported that robberies were up about 40 percent citywide so far in 2006 over this time last year.

One of the most intersting pieces of information given is that City Councilman Dan Niziolek agrees with many that Chief McManus spent too much time coddling the activists:

In fairness, robberies rose sharply in Minneapolis in 2003, before McManus arrived. No one doubts that the causes of crime increases are many and complex.

But Niziolek faults McManus for spending too much time developing relationships with high-profile "community leaders."

"Too often," Niziolek said, "he focused on personal public relations at the expense of leading a police force."

Ms. Kersten is an asset to the Red Star. Read the whole article and give her your feedback if you can. It's hard to imagine the liberals finding fault with this column, but nothing would surprise me anymore.

Meanwhile, a carjacking suspect is captured by one of Minneapolis' finest K-9s: "Minneapolis cop, K-9 nab suspected carjacker".

A Minneapolis police officer and his K-9 partner arrested a suspected carjacker after a brief car chase that ended in a crash early this morning.
...
A short time later the officer spotted the suspect driving the car and began to pursue him. The chase ended at 34th St. and Pleasant Ave., where the car crashed into a pole near a school playground.

When the suspect then fled on foot, the K-9 jumped into action, subduing the man and holding him until his handler arrived, broadcasters said.

There were no reported injuries.

Apparently the K-9 didn't get a bite. Too bad.

And finally, KARE 11 gives an update on the savage Uptown murder and the fallout: "Uptown murder still fresh in minds of residents and workers".

Saturday night's shooting in Uptown is still unsolved there may be a hint of hope of catching the criminals after three people were arrested Tuesday night.
...
But little is being said by Minneapolis police to connect the two.

All the while life in Uptown is beginning to move on, for some.

No one should be "moving on" yet. There are killers on the loose, and there remains a systemic problem in Minneapolis. I understand lives have to be lived, but the crime issue needs to be front and center until resolved.

...Huy Nguyen was Zebuhr's waiter Saturday night at Chang Mai Tai, where Zebuhr, his mother, sister and a friend at dinner before the fatal shooting.
"Now, we have to think about it," Nguyen said when talking about the shooting.

Nguyen said he gave them their bill at 9:48. According to the police report the shooting happened at 9:55.

"It's crazy to think that it was just so many less minutes away," Nguyen said, "it was only like 3-4 minutes away...that's crazy."

We need to reassess our approach to crime, we need to remain aware and vigilant, and we need to support our local law enforcement in their efforts to catch the killers. I've met and been acquainted with many Minneapolis cops, and there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that they want these scumbags off the streets, and are very capable of completing that mission.

The criminals can run, but they can't hide. Let's pray for a quick capture.

Killers On The Loose

Arrests have been made, ostensibly linked to the Uptown robbery/murder, but something doesn't quite track here. Some of the earliest suspect descriptions described the suspects generally as two "possibly black" males.

Later, as the suspect descriptions began to gel, there was more specificity of the suspected national origin of the criminals, "Two men of East African or Somali ethnicity held up the pair at gun point".

So now an arrest is made of three suspects, but they don't (apparently) have Somali names: Aiesha Camille Williams, 23, James Michael Walker 27, and Omari Kwakou Thomas, 27.

There are three survivors of the robbery. I assume the robbers spoke at some point. A Somali dialect would probably be obvious and memorable, even in the dire circumstances. In other words, the involvement or non-involvement of Somalis should be fairly obvious, for at least one of the three survivors.

So are the people in custody the "right" people? Obviously, there's missing information, and the police are understandably tight-lipped. I certainly hope those in custody are connected to the crime, but something doesn't add up, particularly with the history of Somali or East Africans robbing people in the Uptown area.

Am I missing something?

The Red Star reports, but omits the arrestee's names: "Three arrested after chase in south Minneapolis".

And here is a Minneapolis Police Media Advisory from 3/22/06:

Contact: Ron Reier, Minneapolis Police Department, 612-673-2995
Three People Arrested/Three Handguns recovered by Minneapolis Police ………..

(Minneapolis, MN March 22, 2006) Shortly after 11:00 PM Tuesday evening (March 21, 2006), veteran Minneapolis Police Officers Jeff Hoff and James Reynolds observed a vehicle fail to stop for a red light at Pillsbury Avenue South at West 31st Street. The officers activated red lights and siren; however the driver of the vehicle failed to stop. Officers observed the vehicle fail to stop for several red lights as it traveled Eastbound on 28th Street. Officers also observed items being thrown from the car. The low speed pursuit (approximately 40 mph) ended when the vehicle struck another vehicle as the vehicle exited Hiawatha at Cedar Avenue South.
During the low speed pursuit, additional officers observed items being thrown from the vehicle. Two loaded handguns were recovered from the area of East 28th Street and Clinton Avenue South. A third handgun was recovered near 10th Avenue South and East 28th Street.
Arrested:
1. Aiesha Camille WILLIAMS, DOB: 02-09-1983, 1301 Highway 7, Apt #127, Hopkins
2. James Michael WALKER, DOB:08-22-1978, 2938 Morgan Avenue North, Minneapolis
3. Omari Kwakou THOMAS, DOB: 08-16-1978, 2920 Northway Drive, Brooklyn Park
All three arrested parties were booked at the Hennepin County Jail. This case will require further investigation. At this point, no connection is being made linking this case to any other case being investigated.
Mug shots are not available. Charges will be presented to the Hennepin County Attorney’s office at the appropriate time.
# # #

No Justice

In a prior Rambix post titled "Minneapolis - the Fallujah of the west" from 10/16/05, I wrote about the mugging of the "patriarch of Sonny's Crema Café" in Southwest Minneapolis:

We know that crime occurs all the time on the north side and the Phillips neighborhood in general. What people should be aware of is that the previously insulated folks in southwest Minneapolis (where the middle to upper middle class, mostly white live) are being targeted with personal violence at an alarming rate. Yes, murders are down citywide, but robberies, rapes, and other violent crimes are up. And they are shifting toward previously safe areas.

Following are some recent cases in point (and by the way, you won't read these in the Red Star).

"Sonny of Sonny's Crema Café mugged, incidents worry Lyndale" from the Southwest Journal.

Seventy-nine-year-old Sonny Siron, the patriarch of Sonny's Crema Café, 3403 Lyndale Ave. S., was robbed during his morning walk on Monday, Sept. 5. Two black males asked him for directions downtown and then begged for money. When Siron indicated that he didn't have any cash on him, they appeared to walk away. An instant later, they delved into his pockets - wrapping their hands around his neck and stealing his wallet that contained cash, credit cards and keys. Siron wasn't injured, but he was shaken, according to Crema Café's Carrie Gustafson.

This is a highly trafficked area, frequented by normal people.

Said Gustafson, ”We haven't seen it this bad since we opened the café almost 12 years ago.“ She said her concern isn't about how many police officers patrol the area, but added, ”It's the fact that, once people get caught, they're back on the street and they just do it again. We have to get tough on crime.“

That was in October. Now we learn the perp will walk. This, from the Minneapolis SAFE Unit (3/22/06):

As you know, Robert Lashon Profit (age 19) was charged with robbery in connection with the attack on Mr. Martin (Sonny) Siron that occurred on September 5, 2005. Profit pled not guilty and was scheduled to go to trial on March 20, 2006. Thanks to the efforts of the neighborhood, 25 community impact statements were written regarding this horrible crime.

Profit showed up for trial on March 20, 2006. He was taken into custody because a warrant had been issued prior to trial. He requested a Rasmussen hearing. The purpose of a Rasmussen hearing is to determine whether there are any Constitutional issues that affect the evidence in a case. In this case, the Defendant moved to suppress the out-of-court identification (show-up) and possibly an in-court identification. The Defendant argued that the victim’s identification of him was not sufficiently reliable.

The Rasmussen hearing was held yesterday, March 21, 2006. At the hearing, Mr. Siron testified. Mr. Siron has a significant medical condition that affects his memory. Mr. Siron was not able to identify the Defendant and connect him with the crime. There was no other direct evidence that connected the Defendant with the crime, and as such, the prosecution was unable to proceed. The case was dismissed following the Rasmussen hearing.

Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Amy Sweasy handled the case. She received the community impact statements and provided them to the judge. She advises that Judge Charles Porter, who presided over the hearing, said that he is willing to discuss the case with anyone from the community who is interested in knowing more about it. Judge Porter’s telephone number is (612) 348-8150. His mailing address is: The Honorable Charles A. Porter, Hennepin County Government Center, Minneapolis, MN 55487.

A sad turn of events in one of the seminal events in the decline of Minneapolis.

Shot Fired At Police

Are Minneapolis criminals afraid of the police? One wonders: "Police officer caught in crossfire".

More gun fire in north Minneapolis, but this time the person caught in the crossfire is a police officer.

A Minneapolis Park Police squad was on routine patrol near 30th and Dupont Avenue North when the officer found himself in the middle of a shootout between two cars. One of the bullets went thru the windshield but the officer was not hit.

A Minnesota State Patrol Helicopter has been called to the scene to search for the two vehicles.

A Bright Light No More

The more you read about the Uptown Murder victim, the more it breaks your heart. What a tragic waste. KARE 11 News gives further details:

Friends say that young man was destined to make a difference.

Back in 2003, when he was a student at Davis and Elkins, he briefed some students and professors about his summer work. He'd worked in a NASA lab at the Kennedy Space Center.

"It's a program that researches growing plants in space," Zehuhr told WBOY-TV at the time.

Last fall Zebuhr started working on his Ph.D. in bioengineering at Clemson University.

His adviser Lisa Benson says, for all his smarts it is his heart she'll remember most.

"He's the most likely person I think to reach out and help somebody in need and would be very likely to help the types of people that committed this crime," she said.

Zebuhr once drove a car full of clothes and appliances to a family in upstate South Carolina who were in need of help after Hurricane Katrina.

"He's just a poor graduate student, but he saw somebody worse off than he was and just freely gave of himself and his time," said Benson.

Stories like that don't make what happened in Uptown Minneapolis any easier.

Let's get these killers before they cause more damage. Let's shut down Somali gangs, any gangs, and drive the criminals into prison or out of our cities before the destruction becaomes irreversible.

It's easy to write Minneapolis off as the next Detroit, but that's giving in to the criminal scum. We can't let that happen. As Minneapolis goes, so goes the suburbs, and the state.

What are you going to do about this Mayor Rybak and Ms. Klobuchar?

Rest In Peace

Rest in Peace, Mr. Zebuhr. Now the hunt is on to find your killers.

The Minneapolis Police attended a community meeting yesterday in the Uptown area and tried to convince residents the area is still safe. Meanwhile, newly elected City Councilman Ralph Remington and the residents of the area have solutions to violent animals running wild in the streets of Minneapolis: Better lighting and "community action".

Minneapolis City Councilman Ralph Remington said, “This is a safe community - we know it's a safe community. But when acts like this happen, we have to get on top of it."

I'm not so sure that's true, Mr. Remington. There are cold-blooded killers running loose, and if you think the criminals who killed Mr. Zebuhr are the only ones out there, you're mistaken.

Carl Holmquist called for a moment of silence.

“I just want to make sure that's the focus," Holmquist said. "Somebody died. Somebody's loved one died … and that's what we gotta remember first … and hopefully that family will get some justice."

You're right on the money, Mr. Holmquist. Let's hope that justice comes sure and swift.

New Robbery Alert - Somali Gangsters Strike Univ. Of Minnesota

Is there a Somali gang uprising in Minnesota?

You didn't read this in the Red Star:

Alert #: 7835
Robbery Near UofM Campus 3/17/06

Location:

55101, 55102, 55103, 55104, 55105, 55106, 55107, 55108, 55111, 55112, ...

Suspect Information

Somali male in his late teens. Over 6 feet tall wearing a heavy, brown and white shirt.

Incident Details

A report was submitted to the Minneapolis Police Department regarding a robbery which occurred near the University of Minnesota Campus on the night of 3/17/2006. She was walking on the East River Road, near Ontario Street when a light colored sedan rolled up next to her. It was occupied by 4 Somali males in their late teens.

One of the males got out of the car, pushed the victim to the ground and took her bag. He then got back in the car and it drove away. No weapons were reported in the incident.

The suspect is described as over 6 feet tall and was wearing a brown and white shirt. No further description is available at this time. If you witnessed the crime, or have further information, we encourage you to call.

We would like to encourage the use of the University’s Security Escort program (624-WALK), and encourage people to be particularly cautious when walking alone at night.

Date Entered Date Last Updated

3/21/2006 1:38:41 PM 3/21/2006 1:38:41 PM

Minnesota - University Of Minnesota Police Department
100 Transportation and Safety Building
511 Washington Avenue,SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
6126242677

Bad Robbery Gone Bad

More details emerge on the Uptown Minneapolis robbery/attempted murder as Michael Zebuhr clings to life. KSTP News confirms that the robbers are likely of East African or Somali origin.

This would normally not be significant but for the fact that the likely gang of robbers which originated the wave of violence in the spring of 2005 were Somali or East African. Previous Rambix posts on that angle can be found here.

KSTP News also reports that another robbery may be connected: "Police: Uptown robberies may be related".

Minneapolis Police are looking into the connection between two robberies Saturday evening, one of which left a West Virginia man in critical condition after being shot in the head.

Michael Zebuhr was visiting the Twin Cities with his mother when the two were robbed after leaving a Calhoun Square restaurant. Two men of East African or Somali ethnicity held up the pair at gun point and shot Zebuhr even after his mother had handed over her purse.

The shooting was their second cime of the night:

About three hours before the robbery at 31 and Girard Ave. S., police say two suspects robbed another man at gunpoint as he pulled up to an ATM at the Wells Fargo on Lake St. W. and Humboldt Ave. S.

A source tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS suspects in both cases meet a similar description.

WCCO News reports that Mr. Zebuhr was shot twice in the head:

One gunman shot Zebuhr twice in the head. Police said the shooting appeared to be cold-blooded and unprovoked.

It doesn't get more vicious than that, folks. These animals are extremely dangerous. With the exception of the idiots quoted in a previous post, most people of normal judgment are very concerned:

Uptown's usual upbeat atmosphere remains on edge with no suspects in the case.

Erik Pehrson, an Uptown shop employee said, "It's a definite shock. I'll be walking ladies to their cars at night when they get off late.".

Other workers said they'll be sure that more than one person is inside their shop at all times.

A manager of another store said she'll be paying for employees to park at a parking ramp because at a ramp, at least there are a few extra sets of eyes keeping watch.

WCCO News also reports that Uptown residents are "fighting back" with liberal's usual answer to violent crime:

Devens said, "Because of increasing concern for these types of crimes, our neighborhood, the CARAG neighborhood, has gotten together to form what we call the CARAG stroll patrol or a neighborhood walking group."

Well, good luck with the walking. If you don't like consrvatives for anything else, we're much better at stopping crime. So might I instead suggest taking the advice of JB Doubtless and purchasing a large caliber self-defense tool?

Is It Time For Mayor Rybak To Step Down?

Is it time for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak to step down from his position as mayor?

My original theory on his lack of leadership over the past year or so as his city was disintegrating around him was that he was indifferent to the crime problems, and pre-occupied with reweaving and the like. I've since come to a different conclusion: The mayor is in way over his head. He simply doesn't know what to do.

Perhaps ex-Chief McManus recognized this characteristic of the mayor. I was always loathe to place much of the blame for the crime spike on McManus, although it tracked closely with his tenure. As many have noted, he was thrust into a bad situation. Of course, some pre-arrival research might have resolved that, but it might be too much to expect that outsiders could comprehend the level of dysfunction in the city prior to getting in the mix.

Mayor Rybak has long since lost control of his city to the criminal element. Actually, he probably lost control sometime last year. Whatever the case, Uptown, and by extension Minneapolis proper, is facing an unprecedented public relations nightmare. Of all the crimes that have occurred on Mayor Rybak's watch, this one in particular struck a nerve and is receiving heavy media coverage.

That wasn't the case in 2005.

I understand that Minneapolis has a weak-mayor system in which the City Council really runs the show. But the mayor is the de facto leader and figurehead. His position is symbolic of the city.

Mayor Rybak should recognize the crisis and do the honorable thing: step down as mayor of Minneapolis.

Fox 9 News - Uptown Robbery Update & Rambix Flashback

Fox 9 Television News reported that police may now be looking for four males, possibly Somalian or black.

Keep that in mind as you read this Rambix flashback to the spring of 2005:

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

The Uptown crime wave and the PC trifecta

We're going to let this one mostly speak for itself. Here's a portion of the latest St. Paul Pioneer Planet update:

"Minneapolis police have captured four teenagers they say could be responsible for 22 "bold and brazen" armed robberies last month that targeted late-night partiers leaving the trendy Uptown neighborhood's restaurants and bars. The teens were arrested early Sunday after police say they pulled a gun on a couple and demanded money. None of the teenagers had been charged as of Monday. The suspects — Abikani Mohammed Ahmed, 19; Abdulkadir Musse Jama, 18; Abdishakur Adan Hassan, 18, and a 16-year-old whose name police did not release — were being held in the Hennepin County Jail."

Could it be any more obvious why this information has been downplayed? Can anyone argue that it hasn't been downplayed? Has the media, in particular the Red Star, just hit the PC trifecta? We'll let the reader decide.

Uptown Insurgency: People Are Angry

Reader John F. Miller sent this fine letter to Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak:

I sent the following letter to Mayor Rybak, Council Member Ralph Remington, and several owners of prominent Uptown businesses.

20 March 2006

Mayor R. T. Rybak
Room 331, City Hall
350 South 5th Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415

Dear Mayor Rybak,

My wife and I have lived in Uptown since 1974. We have owned a house in Uptown since 1978.

One of our warm weather pleasures has been taking an early evening stroll through the Uptown business district.
Sometimes we just walk, people-watch, look in store windows, and then return home. Other times we might have dinner, buy some books, or purchase the latest problem-solving kitchen gadget.

At 10 PM on Saturday, March 18th, 2006, a young man, accompanied by his mother and sister, was robbed and shot in the head at West 31st Street and Girard Avenue S.

As a result of this crime and because of the overall, unchecked increase in criminal activity in Uptown, I no longer feel safe walking in Uptown after dark.

As a result, my wife and I will be spending our entertainment and shopping dollars in Saint Louis Park or Edina, two close and convenient communities that still have effective police forces.

Yours truly,
John F Miller 03.20.06 - 9:10 pm

Thanks, John. We should all follow suit.

Uptown Victim Identified, In Critical Condition

KSTP News reports an update on the Uptown Minneapolis robbery victim, including his identity. His condition is critical: "Uptown shooting victim may not live".

The victim of Saturday night's shooting in Uptown has been identified as 25-year-old Michael Zebuhr [Photo courtesy KSTP News].

Zebuhr remains in critical condition after he was shot by muggers across the street from Calhoun Square in Uptown.

He's hanging on, but it doesn't sound good. Meanwhile, the animals that did this run free. Deputy Chief Lubinski realizes that more police won't necessarily solve the problem. It's become entrenched into the "fabric" of the city.

The shooting is forcing police to rethink their approach to policing the streets in Uptown, and more officers may not be the solution.

"I can assure you that it's a top priority for us right now," said Deputy Chief Sharon Lubinski, of the Minneapolis PD. "It's not always a matter of just adding officers, so much as using the officers in a better way and using our intelligence better; we have a great unit that provides us street intelligence here."

The police patrols had been increased prior to this savagery.

This is why there will be a never-ending supply of victims:

"I wouldn't let one event scare me from coming to Uptown," said Shane Hallesy, who frequents the area.

While many residents were talking about the crime, nobody said they felt unsafe.

"I think it's a worldwide problem, not an Uptown problem," said Marvel Olson, an Uptown bar owner. He said more police in the area is not necessarily the answer.

Another person told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that Uptown is so safe that many people may have just let their guard down.

Only liberals could be that dumb. They live in a different world than the rest of us; most people are born with common sense, but apparently some aren't.

The description of the thugs remains virtually the same:

...Police describe the suspects as two black males age 17 to 22. They fled on foot, and may have eventually jumped into a white car, according to police.

KARE 11 provides additional details: "College student remains in critical condition after Minneapolis shooting".

A fun night with family ended in tragedy on the streets of Uptown on Saturday night.

A 25-year-old college student was shot in the head after he, his mother, his sister and a friend left an Uptown restaurant. Michael Zebuhr, a Clemson PhD student, was critically wounded Saturday just seconds after two men approached his 55-year-old mother, Susanne Strong, and demanded her purse.
...
Zebuhr was a 2005 graduate of Davis and Elkins College in Buckhannon, West Virginia. School officials say he received BS degrees in chemistry and math.

They said he was a student leader as well as a member of the school's ski team and an avid mountain biker. This year he was enrolled in a PhD program at Clemson University in South Carolina.

What a waste. I'm getting angrier just reading this. Can you imagine the contrast? Two monsters who give nothing to society, only take. They take the life of a young man who appeared to be very bright and ambitious. Someone who probably worked hard all his life to contribute to society. Someone who was on his way to success.

And these scumbags take it all away in an instant.

Since they won't be punished harshly in Minnesota (which is part of why it happens so often), we can only hope there is a special place in Hell for these sewer rats.

Some people have common sense and understand the gravity of the situation:

Monday, while people were shopping and dining, it was clear the weekend violence was weighing on their minds. "I'm angry," said Shauna Pineiro who frequents the area. "There's a lot of people out on the street accosting people asking people for money making all kinds of threats and stuff and it's got to stop," said Pineiro.

Her husband was a recent robbery victim, "That was the worst things I ever had in my life," said Daniel Pineiro recalling how he was mugged one night as he was walking. "All of a sudden a gun was pulled out and the only thing I could do is say 'help.""

This type of crime affects many people, including area businesses and employees:

Dana Bohn is an employee at one of the area stores who said, "It's definitely unsettling and we always walk out in pairs when we walk to our cars." While that's advice police offer as a safety tip, the fact is Saturday night's shooting victim was accompanied by three other people. The two assailants ran off and no arrests have been made.

Let's pray for Mr. Zebuhr.

More Updates On The Uptown Minneapolis Violence

The Red Star shamefully put their account of Saturday night's Uptown Shooting on the inside of the "B" section, and still did not use any suspect descriptions. This should have been a front page story, above the fold. Contact the Red Star, and ask them why they're downplaying this story.

Chad The Elder from Fraters Libertas has an insightful commentary on the impact of this crime:

This could be the tipping point in the recent crime wave that is sweeping over the city of Minneapolis. In the last few years, Downtown Minneapolis has slowly but surely been lost. At night, even on the busiest streets, you don't feel safe. The police presence is spotty at best and you can walk for blocks on a Saturday evening and see nary a cop. It's not exactly an inviting atmosphere.

Before you dismiss my fears as merely suburban paranoia about the "big city", consider that I've lived in the Twin Cities almost my entire life and I've often enjoyed frequenting Downtown Minneapolis. Presently, I live a mere ten minutes from Downtown and love the vitality and energy of the city. But something has changed in the last five years. And it's not a change for the good.

KARE 11 News has posted chilling details:

...Ronald Barry's apartment window was just 60 feet from the scene.
"I was watching TV and I heard the shots and lady screaming," Barry says. "I called 911 and ran to their aid, and there was obviously nothing I could do for the guy. It was a horrible sight."

These were just some visitors to Uptown Minneapolis, out for a meal. Mayor Rybak would call this "high risk" behavior.

"I heard a pop, pop, and a lady went, 'Oh no!'" says one witness who didn't wish to be identified.

The suspects escaped, possible in a white car, police say. Police do not have a detailed description of the suspects.

Police say the victim had critical injuries. Barry thinks he was shot in the head.

"It was very brutal and it was uncalled for," he says."

Police say there was no struggle before the shooting.

"Usually when the purse is given up, or even if the purse is not given up, we haven't had any that have been shot," says Inspector Kris Arneson with the Minneapolis Police Department.

The shooting happened on a Saturday night, just before 10 p.m., within two blocks of several popular night spots.

Here's the KSTP News report: "Shooting highlights Uptown crime trend".

The incident happened after two men approached the 25-year-old's mother and ordered her to give over her purse; she did and the men still shot her son in the head.

Police say the man's condition is very grave.

The incident is one of many in the area as of lately. Between March 7th-13th there were nine other robberies on record in the area; and so far this year there have been over 100 robberies; thats up 43 percent. There have also been 17 reported rapes and two murders.

Will the people of Minneapolis call for change? If this doesn't do it, I don't know what will.

The Minneapolis Quagmire

If I owned a business in Uptown Minneapolis, I'd be outraged. If I ran a corporation in Minneapolis, I'd be outraged. If I had plans to develop part of Uptown near the location of Saturday night's shooting, I'd be outraged. If I lived in or around Uptown, or Minneapolis in general, I'd be outraged.

I'd be outraged, and I'd get on the phone. Here's some places to start:

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak (612) 673-2100.

Minneapolis City Council - Various numbers, click here.

Call a business owner in Uptown and tell them you don't feel safe spending your money in Uptown. Call the corporate office of a company based in Minneapolis, and tell them you want pressure put on the city "leaders" to take control of the city.

Call Joel Rosenberg and sign up for self-defense training. The adults in this state have given us the ability to put ourselves on equal footing with the criminals. Use that right.

Take your entertainment dollars out of Minneapolis until they clean things up (and they've got a lot of cleaning to do).

The criminal class has virtual free rein of the city. The Minneapolis Police are a first-class organization, but police work by nature is reactive. They can't be everywhere. The problems in Minneapolis are institutional, deeply embeded, and wed to liberal governance. The city "leadship" is adrift in helplessness. Has anyone even heard Mayor Rybak address the problems of crime since spring of 2005? What is Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar up to?

If you care about the city, make your views known. I'm not confident the current regime has the ability to resolve this crisis (do they even know it's a crisis?), but by not acting we've given up.

Uptown Red Alert: Violence Erupts Anew In Entertainment District

A 26 year old man was shot in the head Saturday night by what appears to be two armed robbers. The criminals remain on the loose at this time.

The randomness and time of this crime is particularly disturbing. It happened close to ground zero of the Minneapolis Uptown entertainment district - Lake & Hennepin, and at a prime-time hour: 9:55 pm.

You won't get suspect descriptions from the Red Star ["No detailed descriptions of the suspects or car were available."- per their web posting at the time of this blog entry], or most of the MSM. Only Fox9 News has so far had the common sense to publish and broadcast suspect descriptions. Because of immediate public safety concerns, here is the initial information as relayed by Fox 9 News, however vague at this time:

Police are looking for two young men, possibly black, ages 17 to 22. They were last seen fleeing in a white car.

KSTP News reports:

A Minneapolis hot spot has been the vicitim [sic] of several crimes, including an armed robbery that ended violently Saturday night. A 25-year-old man is very critical condition after he's shot by muggers who also took his mother's purse.

The man was shot in the head by the muggers as he walked back to his car with his mother after dinner in Uptown.

The Red Star reports, but omits suspect descriptions. Why? Do they want us to believe they don't have access to the same information KSTP News has? Here is part of the Red Star version, sans suspect information (By the way, you may recall a previous post where I show a police crime alert and the Red Star story side-by-side showing that the Red Star appeared to have scrubbed suspect information from a crime report):

A 25-year-old man is in critical condition after he was shot during a robbery Saturday in Minneapolis' Uptown area.

Police said the man, whose identity was not released, and his mother, sister and a friend were walking to their car when two men approached them about 9:55 p.m. in the 3100 block of Girard Avenue S. in the Carag neighborhood. The group had just come from a restaurant at Lake Street and Hennepin Avenue.

Police said the suspects demanded the mother's purse. She obliged and there was no struggle or resistance, but one suspect then shot the man, police said.

In the Fox 9 News television report, Minneapolis Police Deputy Chief Lubinski said that (paraphrasing) this type of crime is "very unusual for Uptown". That's interesting, because the very reason this blog began in April of 2005 was specifically in response to an wave of violent robberies in Uptown Minneapolis. The very first post is here, with many more that follow - for example this one from 11/21/05: "Uptown violence explodes (again)".

How could Deputy Chief Lubinski say this is unusual for Uptown?

Minneapolis experienced waves of violence in the spring of 2005, throughout the summer, into the fall, and throughout the winter. I predicted that if nothing was done (and no known long term solutions have been implemented to date) there would be hell to pay in the spring of 2006. Read this post, if no other, for the 2005 roundup: "2005: The Minneapolis Quagmire - year end roundup".

I was wrong about the violence escalating in the spring, however. It's already begun.

Fun In Minneapolis

WCCO News reports the latest fun in Minneapolis: "Police Seek Three Who Fled Shooting, Car Accident".

(WCCO) Minneapolis Police are seeking three suspects they believe fled the scene of a shooting and car accident Saturday in Minneapolis.

The incident happened around 3:30 p.m. near 27th Street West and Pillsbury Avenue South.

Police say a suspect in a light-colored SUV fired shots at a green car.

The green car's driver then put the car in reverse and hit a parked car, authorities said.

The SUV left the scene and headed east on 27th Street, police said.

The person or persons in the green car fled the scene on foot.

Gunplay. Middle of the day.

It's all good in Minneapolis.

Meanwhile, in case you were thinking about testifying against murder defendants in Minneapolis: "Trial witness assaulted, police say".

A Minneapolis woman who was charged Friday with assault and witness tampering is accused of trying to keep her sister from testifying against defendants in the Penn Best Steak House homicide trial, which starts next week.

Teia S. Ayler, 25, was charged in Hennepin County District Court with first-degree witness tampering and second-degree assault. The charging complaint alleges that her ex-boyfriend had discussed paying Teda Ayler, a witness to the fatal shootings of two men, not to testify.

It sounds like the fireworks are already starting on this high-profile case.

After a detective contacted Teia Ayler on Thursday to find her ex-boyfriend, she went to the home of her sister, Teda Ayler, and told her she was angry that Teda was going to testify. Then Teia Ayler allegedly hit, kicked and threw grease on her sister and threatened her with a knife. Teia Ayler is in the county jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Time to build more jails.

Minneapolis Chief: “We are getting the tar kicked out of us on the North Side with robberies and assaults.”

It's worse than I thought.

At least interim Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan understands how bad Minneapolis, particularly the North Side, has degenerated under Mayor Rybak's watch. KSTP News reports: "Dolan says North Side 'needs help'".

In an internal email sent to police staff and Mayor R.T. Rybak, Dolan said the police are losing their battle against deadly shootings, robbery sprees and arson.

“I really need some help,” Dolan said. “We are getting the tar kicked out of us on the North Side with robberies and assaults.”

We didn't hear this kind of candor under Chief McManus. Here's some scary numbers:

...Since last year on the North Side, robbery is up 74 percent, sexual assault 39 percent, assault 31 percent and burglary is up 33 percent.

Could this be a sign of trouble?

“I really believe that relationships are the check book you write the check on when a crisis occurs,” Dolan says.

Haven't we had enough of the "community relations" thing? How's that been working out?

What the North Side really needs is some good, old-fashioned discipline. And while they're at it, don't forget about the rest of Minneapolis. There's a heavy tax base in the South and Southwest, and they're just as deserving of protection as those on the North Side. Minneapolis needs to stem the tide of middle class families fleeing the crime and violence.

Time will tell if Chief Dolan is the man for the job.

Police: "Wilding" in Minneapolis

Many of you may remember the "wilding" phenomenon, which started in 1989 with the New York Central Park jogger case, in which a gang of animals attacked, raped, and left a lone female jogger for dead. There were subsequent copycat incidents, but none had quite the visceral impact of the "original". Fortunately, wilding went out of favor somewhere in the mid-90s, only to be replaced by the major increases in general crime, particularly gang crime.

It was during the violent 1990s that Minneapolis earned the moniker "Murderapolis".

Now that it's 2006, is wilding back? The police think so, at least in a (hopefully) isolated case:

Cleveland, Folwell, Jordan, Near North, and Willard Hay Neighborhoods (3-8-2006)

Crime Alerts Home

Fourth Precinct - Sector 2 and Sector 3 March 8, 2006

(Cleveland, Folwell, Jordan, Near North, and Willard Hay Neighborhoods)

Facts:

On the evening of March 7, a group of young men engaged in several criminal activities in the neighborhoods of Willard Hay, Near North, Cleveland, Folwell and Jordan. These criminal acts occurred between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.

These young men carjacked an individual, attempted to carjack another individual, hit her vehicle and left the scene, robbed two individuals, attempted to rob two others and stole a vehicle. During this "wilding spree," these young men also shot at another vehicle. The robbers displayed weapons in all of these criminal acts. One victim was told "Let everyone know that you've just been robbed by the Jump Out Boys."

Suspect information:

These young men have been riding around looking for victims to rob and assault. Their approach is to drive slowly through neighborhoods and "jump out" when they see people sitting in parked cars, walking alone in alleys or on the street. There are always 2-3 young men involved. One may be standing on the corner as a "lookout." The others commit the assault. The young men have been described as being 15 to mid twenties in age. They have all worn the same or similar clothing.

You really have to feel sorry to some extent for people who have chosen to remain in Minneapolis. The city is dysfunctional to the core. The liberals in charge are basically the gang that can't shoot straight. The Hennepin County Attorney is busy on her campaign while the criminals are running wild. The police chief fled the state, for cryin' out loud.

What a mess.

Oh, and there's a crime wave of burglaries in South/Southwest Minneapolis going on, according to a Minneapolis Police SAFE Unit Alert:

Since March 6, 2006 there have been 16 Burglaries in the CARAG, Lyndale and Kingfield neighborhoods mainly.

11 of these were to Garages.

1 to an Apartment unit

4 to Houses

3 of these were Attempted break-ins and entry was not actually made

2 had Unlocked Doors

11 had the Doors forced or pried open

3 had broken windows

DATE Street Time Reported

3-6-06 35xx Bryant Av S 12pm

3-7-06 34xx Harriet Av S 8:30am

3-9-06 42xx Pleasant Av S 5:30pm

3-10-06 41xx Pleasant Av S 2:30am

3-10-06 32xx Bryant Av S 6:00pm

3-10-06 42xx Harriet Av S 7:00pm

3-10-06 39xx Harriet Av S 11:00pm

3-10-06 42xx Harriet Av S 10:00pm

3-11-06 36xx Pleasant Av S 6:00pm

3-11-06 38xx Pleasant Av S 7:00pm

3-12-06 38xx Harriet Av S 1:00am

3-12-06 39xx Garfield Av S 10:30pm

3-12-06 35xx Pleasant Av S 8:00pm

3-12-06 34xx Grand Av S 8:00pm

3-13-06 33xx Harriet Av S 10:22pm

3-13-06 39XX Garfield Av S 6:00pm