44 Arrests

The Minneapolis Police are looking for more Community Impact input on another societal misfit:

Request for Community Impact Statement

NOTICE: All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. It is a unlawful to report a crime knowing that it is false. See Minn. Stat. 609.505.

Shawnie Eudora Louis

DOB: 03/02/1972

Ms. Louis was arrested for prostitution related offenses on 07/17, 07/28 and 8/26/2006. All occurred in Midtown and East Phillps.

Arrested for narcotics possession on 07/17/2006 and 07/19/2006 in the same area.

Ms. Louis has been arrested 44 times since June of 1991. Her offenses include prostitution offenses (12) and narcotics.

If you have personally observed Ms. Louis engaging in conduct that negatively impacts our community, please consider writing a community impact statement describing that conduct and how it has impacted you and the neighborhood as a whole.

Or

If you haven’t observed Ms. Louis, but are experiencing similar problems with other individuals who are engaging in similar conduct that negatively impacts our community, please feel free to write an impact statement as well. Be sure to note in your statement that you have not personally observed Ms. Louis engaging in this conduct.

Please email your community impact statements to: Carla Nielson at the Franklin Safety Center (871-8090) - carla.nielson@ci.minneapolis.mn.us or fax them to Carla at (612) 342- 0224.

So who's going to jail in Ms. Klobuchar's Minneapolis? Certainly not Ms. Louis, #44, or Ms. Brown, #99.

Like Ms. Brown, Ms. Louis would benefit from a long-term stay in prison.

And I'll be happy to pay for more prison and jail space, which is the same as being happy to pay for a better Minnesota.

Shot In The Head In Minneapolis

KSTP Eyewitness News reports that Christopher Dion Jefferson, 31, of Brooklyn Park, was shot in the head while visiting Mayor Rybak's city: "Brooklyn Park man shot in the head in Mpls.".

Christopher Dion Jefferson, 31, of Brooklyn Park, was shot in the head on the sidewalk at Portland and Franklin, just off of 35W, early Wednesday morning.

Safety officials took him to the Hennepin County Medical Center.

Despite being shot in the head, is condition is described as non-life threatening by Minneapolis Police.

Police have no leads on the suspect at this time.

Is this a random incident? Stay tuned.

Here's a little background history on Mr. Jefferson that you won't see in the MSM (take it for what it's worth):

DOB: 04/15/1975

All Known Aliases/Alternate Spellings:

Jefferson, Christopher James
Jefferson, Christopher
Jefferson, Chris Dion
Jefferson, Christopher Dion

Convictions and Sentencing

Conviction Number: 001
Case Number: 95058090
Court File Number: K995004595
Disposition Date: 04/01/1996
Controlling Agency: Columbia Heights Police Department
Court Agency: Anoka District Court
Assigned Custodial Agency: MN Dept Corrections - St Paul
Assigned Probation Agency:
Count Number: 001
General Offense:
Statute Description: Drugs-3rd Deg-Sale-Narcotic
Statute Number: 152.023.1.1
Disposition: Convicted
Pronounced Fine: $3000
Stayed Fine: $0
Court Cost Amount: $0
Restitution Amount: $0
Assessment Amount: $0
Pronounced Sentence: 54 Months
Probation Sentence:
Conditional Confinement:
Conviction Level: Felony

Conviction Number: 002
Case Number: 93318048
Court File Number: KX93099295
Disposition Date: 06/28/1996
Controlling Agency: Minneapolis Police Department
Court Agency: Hennepin County District Court
Assigned Custodial Agency: MN Dept Corrections - St Paul
Assigned Probation Agency:
Count Number: 001
General Offense:
Statute Description: Drugs-3rd Degree
Statute Number: 152.023
Disposition: Convicted
Pronounced Fine: $0
Stayed Fine: $0
Court Cost Amount: $0
Restitution Amount: $0
Assessment Amount: $0
Pronounced Sentence: 26 Months
Probation Sentence:
Conditional Confinement:
Conviction Level: Felony

Conviction Number: 003
Case Number: 01119573
Court File Number: KX01039240
Disposition Date: 07/26/2001
Controlling Agency: Minneapolis Police Department
Court Agency: Hennepin County District Court
Assigned Custodial Agency: Hennepin County Workhouse - Adult Corrections
Assigned Probation Agency: Hennepin County Probation Off
Count Number: 001
General Offense:
Statute Description: Drugs-5th Degree
Statute Number: 152.025
Disposition: Convicted
Pronounced Fine: $6000
Stayed Fine: $6000
Court Cost Amount: $0
Restitution Amount: $0
Assessment Amount: $0
Pronounced Sentence: 15 Months
Probation Sentence: 3 Years
Conditional Confinement: 3 Days
Conviction Level: Felony

Conviction Number: 004
Case Number: 05053768
Court File Number: KX05013667
Disposition Date: 08/17/2005
Controlling Agency: Minneapolis Police Department
Court Agency: Hennepin County District Court
Assigned Custodial Agency: Hennepin County Workhouse - Adult Corrections
Assigned Probation Agency: Hennepin County Probation Off
Count Number: 001
General Offense:
Statute Description: Fleeing a Peace Officer in a Motor Vehicle
Statute Number: 609.487.3
Disposition: Convicted
Pronounced Fine: $0
Stayed Fine: $0
Court Cost Amount: $0
Restitution Amount: $0
Assessment Amount: $0
Pronounced Sentence: 17 Months
Probation Sentence: 3 Years
Conditional Confinement: 90 Days
Conviction Level: Felony

Downtown Sunkeria Brown

I debated with myself whether or not to lay this one at the feet of Amy Klobuchar.

For about five seconds.

Why is this woman driving/out of jail/still have her kids/on probation?


KSTP News reports: "Mother gets 5th DWI, with kids in car".

A Minneapolis mother has been charged with child endangerment and her 5th DWI, all while on probation after getting four earlier DWIs.

Police pulled over Sunkeria Marie Brown, 28, last Saturday after noticing she was driving erratically at 26th Ave. and Quincy St. in Minneapolis.

Officers say she had her 10- and five-year-old sons with her in the car dressed only in their underwear. Police say when they tested her, Brown's blood alcohol level was nearly four times the legal limit [Ed - that would be a .32 for the mathematically challenged reporter].

The children were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the arrest. Brown fell asleep in the back of the squad car while officers were checking on her children, according to the complaint.

A lesson for HCA Amy Klobuchar from Lt. Greg Reinhardt of the Minneapolis Police:

"She didn't have a license, but that doesn't stop many people from driving,"...

That's true ... if they're not in jail.

Is anyone besides me tired of seeing everyone on probation? Probation! How's that working out for Sunkeria (and society)?

Enough!

Send them to jail. I'm happy to pay for more jail and prison space. And II'm not concerned if they're "angrier" when they come out. As a father, I'm angry now.

Swift and sure adjudication and punishment for the guilty is the answer. If you want to treat them at the same time, fine. But let's end this plague of probation as a knee-jerk judicial response to criminal convictions in Hennepin County.

Goodnight, Sunkeria.

96 Arrests

I'm not sure what the magic number is in Amy Klobuchar's Hennepin County, but it might just be 100 arrests before you are punished for being a menace to society in Hennepin County.

The Minneapolis Police SAFE Unit is looking Community Impact input so that the court can intervene "in a meaningful way" with Krissy Ann Stillday, who has been in handcuffs 96 more times than Ms. Klobuchar has been in the prosecutor's chair since becoming HCA:

Request for Community Impact Statement

NOTICE: All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

It is a unlawful to report a crime knowing that it is false.

See Minn. Stat. 609.505.

Krissy Ann Stillday

DOB: 02/20/1979

Arrested for possible drug possession 06/19/2006, 08/16/2006 and 08/22/2006

Since 1993 Stillday has been arrested 96 times. Most arrests are for drug related crimes including loitering, prostitution, paraphernalia.

Ms. Stillday is a drug addicted, chronic offender [Ed. - this means "criminal" in the real world] who needs our help. Please write a Community Impact statement asking the court to intervene in a meaningful way with her.

If you have personally observed Ms. Stillday engaging in conduct that negatively impacts our community, please consider writing a community impact statement describing that conduct and how it has impacted you and the neighborhood as a whole.

Or

If you haven’t observed Ms. Stillday, but are experiencing similar problems with other individuals who are engaging in similar conduct that negatively impacts our community, please feel free to write an impact statement as well. Be sure to note in your statement that you have not personally observed Mr. Rogers engaging in this conduct.

Please email your community impact statements to: Carla Nielson at the Franklin Safety Center (871-8090) - carla.nielson@ci.minneapolis.mn.us or fax them to Carla at (612) 342- 0224.

Why does Ms. Klobuchar wait until a criminal has 96 arrests (unknown amount of convictions) before doing something "meaningful"? Could this be one reason why the city of Minneapolis has had to implement a (toothless) Code of Conduct? It's a safe bet Ms. Stillday has contributed in her own small way to the overall degeneration of Minneapolis.

Yes, Ms. Stillday has problems, and as a child of God should be cared for. But the most caring thing we can do for Ms. Stillday is to commit her to a long-term prison sentence where she will no longer be a menace to herself or to society. After all, Shakopee women's prison isn't exactly "hard time".

What say you, Amy Klobuchar?

Drive-bys Coming To A Suburb Near You

As violent crime spreads throughout the city of Minneapolis, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the suburbs are also experiencing some fallout. After all, criminals don't care about boundaries.

In the last year or so, some of the growing suburban violence has been seen in Hopkins, Bloomington, Edina, and other close-in suburbs. Now, thanks to a tip from the Lady Logician, a story has emerged from the Twin Cities suburb of Savage of a drive-by shooting; in other words, big city crimes meets the suburbs: "Savage police host neighborhood meeting to allay resident concerns after drive-by shooting".

by Andrew Miller

Thisweek Newspapers

A repeat incident is unlikely, but residents of the Savage neighborhood in which a drive-by shooting occurred July 27 can expect an increased police presence.

That was the message Savage police delivered at a meeting Aug. 15 at St. Mary Magdalene Lutheran Church.[edited]

Det. Dave Muelken spelled out details of the drive-by for residents, but stated that the investigation is ongoing and not all the information gathered by police could be divulged.

Two men have each been charged with four felonies in connection with the shooting. Harold Linville, 21 of Lakeville is the alleged driver; Steven No, 19, of Farmington (who, according to police, also has a Savage residence) is the alleged gunman.

The afternoon of July 27, a 25-year-old Savage man was driving in town when No, in another vehicle, threatened him with a baseball bat, Muelken said.

There is evidence of gang involvement, which is not something you would typically see in the suburbs. This is an obviously unwelcome export from urban areas.

And though the criminal complaint signed by Savage police and filed Aug. 1 in Scott County District Court alleges that No and Linville are known to be associates of the Royal Cambodian Bloods street gang, Muelken said that neither No nor Linville is a gang member documented with the state.

Though that doesn’t mean police have ruled out a gang connection.

The investigation is active and ongoing. If you have information, call the Savage Police at 952-882-2600.

If gangs are branching out from urban areas to the suburbs and beyond, then it's clear that urban violence is everyone's problem. That's why no one should tolerate excuses by Minneapolis leaders for not getting the job done in suppressing criminal behavior.

It's All Relative

After searching high and low for some positive news about Minneapolis to counter the frequent onslaught of criminal negativity, I believe I've hit upon something.

We can be thankful we're not in South Africa.

While Minneapolis has reported 42 murders year-to-date, South Africa (yes, I realize it's a country and not a city) has an average of 51 murders per day, according to a recent AP report.

We can compare by adjusting for population using per capita rates. By rough calculation, the odds of getting murdered in South Africa are 1 in 2500. In Minneapolis your odds are 1 in 7742 (I'm making some assumptions here; I realize not every murder victim lived in Minneapolis).

The article is reminiscent of news reports from large cities in Brazil, where heavily armed criminals will have massive firefights with police in urban areas. The criminals in South Africa may even have the upper hand. Crime is rampant.

(AP) Watch your back in South Africa. They kill folks here. Murder them at a bewildering rate.

Robbers kill their victims, bystanders kill criminals, family members kill each other.

Gun battles erupt on streets and in shopping malls. Passers-by whip out pistols and join in firefights between criminals and police or security guards. A recent flurry in high profile bloodshed even has police suggesting they are losing the fight with violent crime.

The South African violence appears to be country wide, and life seems to have little meaning.

At least in Minnesota we can avoid going to Minneapolis.

Statistically a South African is 12 times more likely to be murdered than the average American and his chances of being killed are 50 times greater than if he lived in western Europe.

"This is an extraordinarily violent society and nobody understands it," said Peter Gastrow, a crime analyst at the Institute for Security Studies in Cape Town.

So as violence continues in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities area, we can be thankful we don't live in South Africa. The positive thought of the day is: It could be worse.

If that helps.

The Robbery Is The Story

The Red Star printed an account of a downtown Minneapolis strong-arm robbery with the "hook" being that the robber ate the evidence.

Funny.

But that's not the real story. The real story is that the alleged dirtbag, Terrance A. Dudley, accosted a woman who was minding her own business waiting for a bus, punched her in the neck, and ripped off her necklaces. He is being charged with robbery.

The Red Star reports: "Police: Necklace thief swallowed the goods".

Terrance A. Dudley was charged Friday with robbery after police said he ripped two necklaces off the neck of a woman waiting at a downtown bus stop Thursday night. After he was arrested and sitting in a squad car, officers saw him with his head bent down, gagging, the charges said.

After his companion told police what Dudley had done, Dudley was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where medical personnel gave him a laxative, the charges said. The necklaces were retrieved.

The robbery occurred about 7 p.m. at the bus stop at S. 8th Street and Hennepin Avenue.

Here's how the crime went down:

Dudley and another male approached the victim and Dudley stood close to her, making small talk before he reached into her pocket to try to grab her cell phone, the charges said.

When she pushed Dudley away, he punched her in the neck, swiped her necklaces and walked away, the charges said.

Blogs have given people a venue to vent their frustrations over the filthy bums and criminals hanging around downtown Minneapolis, committing crimes and annoying good people with virtual impunity. This story is more evidence of the deterioration of security in downtown Minneapolis.

Also keep in mind this story probably would not have been reported by the MSM if there wasn't the unusual twist. My sense is we're not hearing half of what is going on out there.

Tales From The Minneapolis Street

In which a firearm permit holder encounters violence on the Northside of Minneapolis(requires registration):

Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 10:29 am Post subject: What would you do? Shots fired scenario.

I had a very scary incident last night. I was stopped at an intersection (26th and Penn in N. Minneapolis). There was a group of about 9 people sitting out on the front porch. A car slowly drove by and was about to cross my path (I still had the red light). One of the guys sitting on the porch stood up and fired about 7 rounds at the car driving by AS HE WAS CROSSING MY PATH. I was in the crossfire, actually heard the bullets hit the sidewalk next to my car. The driver of the car fired back 2 or three rounds. I had my loaded Taurus next to me on the passenger seat. I put my head down and took a right to get out of the crossfire, then after driving two blocks, I called 911 and gave as good of description of both shooters as I could.

Technically, my life was in danger, and legally, I could've returned fire. I did have an escape route, but I didn't know if the crossfire would've hit my car or me in the escape route.

Needless to say, I was pretty shook up.

I'd be interested to see what some of you more experienced CCW holders would've done. I've only had mine since January of this year.

Business as usual on the Northside? I'd like to think not, but when you hear enough of these stories it's hard not to think so.

I believe this permitholder did the right thing by making tracks to safety, then calling 911. Technically, he may have been justified in returning fire, but does anyone doubt that he'd spend a fair amount of time in court if he did, particularly if someone was hit by his return fire? You've seen what the police have to answer to on the Northside when they're forced to discharge their weapons in the line of duty; how do you think a civilian would be treated?

Even if the county attorney declined to charge, the thug's family would be on the phone to their free legal services lawyer to file a civil suit before the shell casing hit the ground. Is it worth the trouble?

Minneapolis SWAT Action

Does anyone have information on the Minneapolis Police SWAT activity on 37th between Nicollet and Blaisdale last night? Please let me know via email or comments. Thank you.

The Price Of Not Pursuing Justice

Minneapolis authorities,"leaders", and the Hennepin County Attorney could learn a lesson from the tragic story of a gang attack on a young British father which left him with stab wounds and was followed by no arrest or prosecution of the criminals. Not only was there not an arrest or prosecution, there was not even an investigation (starting to sound familiar, Minneapolis residents?).

Believe it or not, that attack was the better part of the story. Seven months later, the gang finished the job with a handgun (Aren't handguns outlawed in Britain?).

The story highlights the consequences of no consequences for criminal behavior. The Daily Mail reports: "Police sorry after father shot dead".

A senior Met Police officer has apologised to the family of a young father shot dead after standing up to a gang of youths in the same road where he was stabbed just months earlier.

Peter Woodhams, a 22-year-old father-of-one, was shot moments after a confrontation with the gang outside a parade of shops in Freemasons Road, Canning Town, east London.

Only seven months ago he had been attacked by a group of youths and stabbed in the neck near the same shops, but nobody was brought to justice. A senior Scotland Yard officer apologised for "any hurt" that the previous investigation may have caused.

His fiancee, Jane Bowden, claims she phoned police every day for five weeks following the knife attack, but said officers never even took a statement from her.

This is a stark example of what could happen if violent criminals are not pursued with extreme prejudice and locked up in a timely manner. Swift and certain justice is a fine deterrent to future criminal behavior.

Like Minneapolis, Britain has trouble with young thugs and apparently judges as well:

A 14-year-old boy arrested in connection with the investigation has been released on bail.

Can we please get serious about arresting, incarcerating, and punishing criminals in Amy Klobuchar's Hennepin County and across Minnesota?

Red Star Crime Reporting Bias; Ex-reporter Speaks

I've spent a considerable amount of time on this blog documenting how the MSM in general, and the Red Star in particular, are loathe to tell the truth when it comes to what they consider to be protected groups: blacks, homosexuals, the poor, urban liberals, and so on. You know something is amiss when I can find an obscure news account that provides a description of crime suspects, where the same description was omitted in every other local Twin Cities news organization story.

In other words, you don't have to believe me, or the folks at Anti-Strib, or any other blogger who covers these stories. The facts are there once the pieces are put together.

And if you don't believe the bloggers, how about an ex-news reporter? Dave Matheny opines on his past experience reporting Twin Cities crime for the Red Star in the twincitiescarry.com Forum (requires registration):

Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 8:30 pm Post subject:

Starting in the 1980s, groups of black youths -- kids, really -- began roaming downtown and on occasion beating up people. The fact that they were (and are) black has no particular significance, other than the simple reality that most white folks feel a degree of fear when approached by a group of black gangbangers, a feeling that is intensified if the thugs call them racial epithets and beat them badly enough to put them in the hospital.

I worked as a reporter for the Horrible Old Strib at the time, and it was kind of strange to have this going on while the staff, very much aware of it, was basically not allowed to write about it. Reporters are fairly normal people but there was this elephant in the room, you know, like nobody talks about how Mom gets falling-down drunk every night.

So nothing was said. There was just no way to write it without the story being at least somewhat specific about who was doing what and to whom. That would have amounted to saying that blacks were committing crimes against whites, and the Strib does not write that story.

The situation, as far as I know, has remained that way, without benefit of being remarked on by the press, for all these years. TV, however, is different. It operates under no such restrictions -- not the black-white thing, but the making-sense thing. WCCO-TV took a whack at it by reporting that "downtown businesses" were complaining that their customers were being frightened off by the "downtown crime problem."

They illustrated it with file footage of (drumroll, please) cops rousting a sleeping wino out of an alley. Never any mention of the exact nature of the problem, nor of who was doing what to whom.

If you didn't happen to know, you'd assume that people were not shopping downtown because of drunks sleeping in alleys.

A couple of reporter friends of mine tried to find ways to report it, but the editors kept bouncing the stories back because they were too negative. There was no way to put a positive spin on it, unless "The Percentage of Whites Who Had their Teeth Kicked in by Black Gangs Rose by a Smaller Than Predicted Percentage This Year" is a positive story.
_________________
--Dave Matheny

Minneapolis Bicyclist Shot

Although I haven't seen this story on in "print" yet, Fox 9 News reports that a bicyclist has been shot in North Minneapolis. Details are pending.

More Details On Hot Burglary In South Minneapolis

The Minneapolis Police issued a Crime Alert last week following a "Hot" burglary in South Minneapolis, which I posted about here.

Here was the extent of the police released information:

Burglars enter Northrop parkway home August 14, 2006

Facts:

Police responded to a report of a burglary on Minnehaha Parkway East in Northrop neighborhood that took place between 3 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. Sunday morning, Aug. 13. Unidentified suspects entered the house while the victim was asleep and took numerous items. The victim was not injured. An investigation is underway. There is little available suspect information.

The original release makes it sound as if the intruder came and went while the victim soundly slept. Now Rambix reader Brandon R. has provided more detail, which (in my view) significantly elevates the egregious nature of the crime:

Maybe this made the news and I missed it…this is news to me.

South Minneapolis:

A house was robbed on East Minnehaha Parkway (Between 11th Ave & 12th Ave) last week. Someone entered the home by cutting through a screen and somehow gaining access. A woman was at home and she was tied up with panty hose and put in a bathroom. After the intruder(s)(?) left, she was able to get free, the intruder(s) had cut her phone line and she didn’t have a cell phone. Her neighbors on both sides were on vacation – so she walked to a gas station about ½ mile away to contact someone for help. These details were passed along to me by family that lives a block away – I grew up in this neighborhood. I remember at least one attempted burglary when I was growing up but nothing quite like this. Do you have any info on this? This is/was a great neighborhood! Thanks for shining light on these issues.

A thug (or thugs) breaking into a home and tying up the resident should be very disturbing for residents of the area. Brandon is right; it's a very nice neighborhood of Minneapolis. It's not a stretch to imagine what the next level might be if the victim struggles, or if the criminal feels more emboldened next time.

[Note: I have no reason to believe these two described incidents not the same crime, although I can't confirm it with absolute certainty.]

The authorities appear to have scrubbed the more relevant information, and they should be asked why. This is a clear and present public safety issue.

Do you ever get the feeling we're only getting half the crime story in Minneapolis?

Bus Stop Shooting Media Advisory

On 8/21/06 I posted here on the St. Paul Bus Stop shooting at 3rd & Bates. The suspect remains on the loose.

The St. Paul Police have now issued a Media Advisory with photos of the alleged perp.

(REVISED COMMENT: Given the new details that have emerged on this story, I no longer consider the shooter to be a menace to society, although I in no way justify his actions based on what has been reported to date. While I condemn vigilantism, this case could potentially have mitigating circumstances).

MEDIA ADVISORY

Saint Paul Police Department
367 Grove Street
Saint Paul, MN 55101

Tom Walsh
Public Information Coordinator
651-266-5735
651-755-9990

August 22, 2006

Shooting Suspect Sought

St. Paul Police detectives are seeking the identity of the person in these photos. The photos were taken by the MTC video security system shortly before two parties left a bus at Third and Bates on St. Paul’s East Side.

The suspect being sought may have been the victim of a theft and followed a young man from the bus. Soon after one shot was heard. A bullet from a small caliber handgun struck that young man in the side just below the arm. He is recovering from the wound. A firearm, believed to be used in this incident, has been recovered.

The suspect is described as a white male, 18 to 20 years old 5’9” tall, wearing a ark blue or black hat and a black shirt with white lettering.

Anyone with information about this party is asked to call St Paul Police at 651-266-5650.

Shot Dead In Bloomington [Update: Suspect Arrested]

The Twin Cities metro area experienced more violence as a woman is found shot to death in a vehicle in Bloomington.

The brief article at KARE 11 doesn't say whether or not foul play is involved, but it also says the police don't consider the boyfriend a suspect.

Bloomington police are investigating the death of a woman found shot to death inside a vehicle in a church parking lot.

Police were called to the Christian Life Church at 90th and Emerson, approximately 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Officers found the woman dead in her car.

The woman's boyfriend made the call for help but police don't consider him a suspect.

WCCO News has more details: "Woman Found Dead In Bloomington Church Parking Lot".

(WCCO) Bloomington, Minn. Authorities are investigating what they're calling a "suspicious death" after finding a woman in a Bloomington, Minn. church parking lot on Monday afternoon.

Police responded to a call at 5 p.m. from the woman's boyfriend who said that his girlfriend had been injured in the vehicle.

Upon arriving at Christian Life Church on West 90th Street and Emerson Avenue South, authorities found the woman inside a Jeep Liberty. The woman's boyfriend was outside the vehicle on the scene.

Police are still trying to piece together where the woman was shot or if she was even shot in the church parking lot.

A second car, possibly linked to the death, was towed from the scene.

We'll see what comes of these unusual circumstances.

UPDATE, suspect arrested: "Man arrested in death of Bloomington woman".

Here's a photo of the suspect:


This tidbit is surprising, as reported by KSTP News:

Richard Monroe Scheibe, 33, of Elk River, was arrested in connection with the woman's death.

Police say the woman's body was found inside an SUV at the Christian Life Church in the south metro suburb late Monday. The woman had a gunshot wound when she was found.

Scheibe was an paramedic and the victim was an EMT.

What a waste.

[Bottom photo courtesy KSTP News]

[Top photo courtesy KARE 11 News]

St. Paul Shooting

Fox 9 Tv News described today's St. Paul bus stop shooting as random, but KSTP News reports that the victim knew the attacker: "Man shot as he steps off bus in St. Paul".

A man was shot as he stepped off of a public bus Monday around 4 p.m. on St. Paul's east side.

The streets near 3rd St. and Bates Ave. reopened around 6 p.m. as police searched for the suspect.

The man apparently got off the bus and was shot in the side, under his arm.

The suspect is described as an 18- or 19-year-old white male wearing a blue baseball cap and a black and white shirt. It's not clear yet if the suspect was on the bus with the victim.

The victim was rushed to Regions Hospital and is listed in stable condition.

Let's hope they find this sewer rat, and soon.

[Photo courtesy KSTP Eyewitness News]

They Think We're Idiots

One of my favorite posts from long ago was one in which I showed a side-by-side example of how suspect descriptions were stripped out of a police news release by the MSM. The police obviously wanted the public to know that information, but the local news outlets chose to censor it.

Rambix commenter IndyR has done yeoman's work digging up a story on the Bobby and Steve's shooting from the Duluth News-Tribune (via Pioneer Press) where they actually printed descriptions of the groups that were involved: "Two teens shot outside downtown Minneapolis store".

A group of 20 to 25 people had gathered near Bobby and Steve's Auto World, a gas station and deli near 12th Avenue South and Washington Avenue South when the fight broke out, apparently between groups of Somalis and African-Americans, Reinhardt [Lt. Gregory Reinhardt of the Minneapolis police] said.

And "crap" makes this observation:

How absurd is this? I put the PiPress and Duluth (original PiPress) stories side by side, and the ONLY difference was that the PiPress story was missing the words "apparently between groups of Somalis and African-Americans"!

Does the MSM think we're all idiots; that we can't handle the truth? If Lt. Reinhardt made the comment, you can be sure the Red Star and others had this information and they chose not to include it.

We know from experience that the MSM abhors printing negative stories about their "protected" communities, which include, but are not limited to, blacks, immigrants, homosexuals, and liberals in general.

Let me say this again: They think you're stupid.

A fact is not a fact when it comes to the MSM. The condescending attitude of the MSM is serving to drive more people to alternative media such as blogs.

Conservative bloggers won't talk down to readers or suppress information we think you shouldn't know, so visit early and visit often.

Quagmire Update: Two Shot This Morning In Minneapolis

It appears that more violence has broken out in a busy and well-traveled area of Minneapolis not more than a few hours ago.

The Red Star reports (very timely, I might add) a double shooting that happened so late Sunday night, it almost caught early Monday work traffic. The crime occurred near the Bobby and Steve's Auto World store on Washington Avenue near the University of Minnesota, which, unfortunately, has become the site of some trouble in the past year or two.

The Red Star reports: "Double shooting in Minneapolis".

Star Tribune

Last update: August 21, 2006 – 5:40 AM

Shots fired into a crowd early this morning along Washinton Avenue in downtown Minneapolis left two people with minor injuries and police searching for a gunman.

The shooting occurred about 4 a.m. near Bobby and Steve's, a popular service station and convenience store near the intersection of 11th Street and Washington, according to media reports.

Nothing would lead me to believe that Bobby and Steve's is other than a fine operation. I've been told in the past, however, and have seen with my own eyes to some extent, that because of it's central location the store can attract large and sometimes unruly crowds that hang out there after bar time, or late at night in general.

I'm sure some of you can confirm or deny that.

The article does give some insight into the size of the crowd at the time of the shootings:

About 20 people had gathered near the station when the shooting began.

There are a lot of armed thugs running loose in Minneapolis, folks, and it doesn't take much to set them off. Had this incident happened an hour later, there may have been a number of working people visiting the store, minding their own business.

Most people are getting sleep at the time this incident occurred, getting ready for the work week. Why do we have a class of armed thugs out in the middle of the night shooting each other when they should be thinking about their upcoming work day?

Deeper Into The Quagmire: #42 [Update: Woman Charged 2nd Degree Murder]

Minneapolis murder #42 happened earlier in the day, but most news sites don't have the story up yet. Fox 9 News reported the murder on their 9pm broadcast, and only KSTP's website has a brief mention: "Minneapolis man killed by pregnant girlfriend".

A lover's spat became deadly Sunday, when a 20-year-old woman stabbed her boyfriend in their North Minneapolis apartment. The incident happened on the 1700 block of Freemont Avenue North, and friends and neighbors of the couple are shocked that the argument went so far.

I'll post more details as they become available.

UPDATE: "Woman charged with fatally stabbing boyfriend".

A 20-year-old Minneapolis woman was charged today with second-degree murder after she allegedly stabbed her boyfriend in the heart Sunday at their home.
Sincerae S. Douglas told police that she and Martell Delaney, 20, had been arguing in their apartment in the 1700 block of Fremont Avenue N., the complaint said.

St. Paul Residential Armed Robbery

The St. Paul Police Department has issued a Media Advisory following a residential armed robbery on August 18th, 2006 on St. Paul's West Side:

MEDIA ADVISORY

Saint Paul Police Department
367 Grove Street
Saint Paul, MN 55101

Tom Walsh
Public Information Coordinator
651-266-5735 - Office
651-755-9990 - Cellular

August 18, 2006

Masked Man Robs Home

At about 12:A.M. this morning an armed man wearing a mask entered a home Chippewa Ave. on St. Paul’s West Side. The man, Armed with a small silver hand gun demanded money and jewelry. The suspect obtained a small amount of cash and some jewelry and left the occupants of the house, a woman and her teenaged daughter, in the basement.

The suspect is described as a male, in his early 20s, about 5’10”with short reddish brown hair wearing a white hooded sweatshirt and a mask over the entire lower half of his face. He spoke with what was described as a southern drawl.

No force was used to gain entry to the home and no one was injured. It appears that a door was left unsecured and that was the point of entry. It is unclear at this time, if this home was targeted or, simply an opportunity.

St.Paul Police ask people, in all parts of the city, to take basic precautions against this kind of intrusion.

The most basic precaution was ignored in this case - locking the doors.

Too many people get careless about security and invite crime. Leaving garage doors open over night is a crime magnet, but people do it all the time. Unlocked doors and windows are less obvious, but no less hazardous.

It's important to at least give the impression your home is secure, but using multiple layers of security is the best defense.

The victim in the above case appears to have paid the price for not being diligent about safety and security. She and her daughter were lucky they weren't hurt.

Another Minneapolis Shooting Overnight

I can't go away for 24 hours without the city of Minneapolis devolving into mayhem. Who's watching the store?

The newest insult to the once-fine city happened in a somewhat seedy, but heavily traveled area of Lake St. not far from the high profile urban entertainment areas of Lyn-Lake and Uptown. In fact, many visitors to those areas would drive right by the shooting site to get there.

On a personal note, the Rambix family passes directly by this site on occasion; this is how violence in Minneapolis affects us all. It's not just for gangsters anymore.

KSTP Eyewitness News reports: "Four shot outside S. Minneapolis bar".

Four people were shout [sic] outside of a south Minneapolis sports bar late Thursday. It happened near Champions near 35W and Lake St. around 11:30 p.m.

Four people were sent to the hospital. One of the victims is reported to be in serious condition.

The Fallujah-style assault dispersed the wounded:

The victims were apparently found scattered around the neighborhood. One victim was found near Champions, one was found down the block near White Castle and two others were found down the street by West Lake St. and Pillsbury Ave. S.

What led up to this incident is still a mystery.

"...If you're looking for the motive, we don't know what the motive is right now," said Pete Jackson, of the Minneapolis Police Department.

The police investigation continues.

Welcome to the Minneapolis Quagmire.

The Armed Robbery You Didn't Read About In The Red Star

The area of 46th and Nicollet S. and it's environs has seen an inordinate amount of violent crime over the several years. There have been a plethora of robberies, and even a murder at one of the corner gas stations.

I've written about the area before; it's a relatively nice part of the city. There's a Caribou Coffee, a video store, a bagel shop, a karate dojo, and other normal businesses. Yet, in my view, it's a gateway area for thugs and criminals traversing back and forth from the east and west sides of highway 35W, as well as from the Lake Street area to parts farther south in Minneapolis. There is freeway access at 46th St.

So the latest news that you didn't read about in the Red Star is yet another armed robbery of business, as released by the Minneapolis Police SAFE Unit:

On Tuesday August 15, 2006 at about 9:45 am, there was a Robbery Of Business that occurred at 4618 Nicollet Av S., the Papa Johns store.

The Public Information from this incident is; “The suspect entered the business, pointed a gun at the manager, and ordered the manager into a walk-in cooler. 30 seconds later, the suspect opened the cooler and demanded the manager's keys. The manager handed over the keys. The suspect took cash and checks and left the business.”

Suspect is described as 20-29 year old, black male, about 5’11”, short hair, wearing a hooded shirt with dark sunglasses.

I do not have any further information on this incident. It is CCN 06-231243.

This crime and others in that area ought to concern the local urban socialists, as many pass through and do business there in large numbers. Too bad they won't know about it because they don't read Rambix, and they do read the Red Star.

The Minneapolis Shooting You Didn't Read About In The Red Star

Sorry folks - you don't get half the news from the MSM.

Sure, keep reading the Red Star every day and pretend you're being informed as to what's happening around you. Pretend that news which reflects poorly on Minneapolis isn't downplayed (did you read about the Lake Calhoun predators in the Red Star?).

Save your Red Star 50 cents; I'll give you what I can for free. Here's another under-the-radar Minneapolis crime as released by the Minneapolis SAFE Unit:

At about 5 pm on Tuesday August 15, 2006 a shooting occurred near the intersection of Lake Street and Pillsbury Av S. A male party was shot in the leg. The injuries do not appear to be life threatening.

There is very limited information on this incident. The victim apparently was shot by the passenger of a van. The suspect was only described as a light skinned black male 20-25 years old.

I do not have any further information on this case. It is Case Number 06-231612.

It's just a shooting, gentle readers. Nothing to see here...

Real Life Minneapolis Story

Rambix reader Brent S. recounts his Minneapolis horror story which sheds light on why the city is in the shape it's in. The experience even includes a squishy judge who slaps the hand of one of Minneapolis' finest pieces of garbage.

Read it and weep [edited for brevity]:

I used to live in a townhouse near East 24th St and Chicago/Elliot Ave So. My vehicle had been broken into more times than I can count. My tires were slashed, paint keyed, gunshots almost every night. We had a drug dealer and his girlfriend who lived right next door. He would beat the crap out of her on a semi-regular basis. There was pedestrian traffic to their door at all hours. He once bragged that he had been arrested over 50 times...

They didn’t maintain their property, had broken windows, torn screens, the front door had major dents and even holes in it. They were thousands of dollars behind in association dues. Each time they would get a notice of one sort or another, they would claim racism. Once, they even enlisted the help of the NAACP. Friends did not like coming over to visit because they did not feel safe.

One day, the MPD Narcotics unit “entered” their townhouse. Inside, they found measurable amounts of crack cocaine packaged to sell. They also found a scale, large amounts of cash and other drug paraphernalia. He had recently sold to an undercover NARC officer. We had been in communication with the MPD SAFE unit about the activities at their residence...He had voiced verbal threats to us many times that he was going to kill us, and our dog.

We had also met with the prosecution in this case, as we were witnesses to much of what went on. We were asked to write impact statements of how our day to day lives have been affected by this thug. We also found out he had done time in Illinois, and Michigan...Our concerns weren’t even considered by the judge. In fact, the judge labeled us as “racists”, and felt that the defendant was “Amenable to Rehabilitation”! He was in his late 40’s or early 50’s and has been a criminal most, if not all of his adult life!! So she gave him 1 year of probation. She also ordered him to “mediate” with the townhouse association and problem neighbors and work out a solution.

...the judge said we had to go to mediate. I was floored and insulted. I could not believe I had to go mediate with a convicted felon and recently convicted drug dealer! [Ed. - I can't believe it either!] We went to the meeting...Some agreements were made, between the association and them, which to my knowledge were never kept.

I learned that law abiding, tax paying, hard working citizens do not have any rights in Minneapolis, are not entitled to peace and quiet, and the rights of the criminal are more important.

To top it all off, this scumbag receives SSI benefits! Someone needs to pass a law that if you are a convicted felon, or convicted drug dealer, then you get NOTHING!!!!

Thanks for doing what you do!

Brent S.

Armed Robberies At Lake Calhoun - Where Has This News Been?

"It's sad that it's come to this. It's sad that this is OK to do to someone. I was just really mad. Really frustrated."


After reporting crime news over the last year in the Twin Cities area, certain trends become apparent. One of the trends is subtle, but becomes more obvious over time, and that is the buildup of crime events before widespread reporting occurs.

Every so often, we'll see a crime alert putting the public on notice of a string of store robberies, for example. The crimes will have occurred for months with no notice, and suddenly its an epidemic.

That appears to be the case with this disturbing story on armed robberies at the Lake Calhoun area of Minneapolis, an area that I consider to be one of the crown jewels of the city and a major draw for locals and tourists alike.

Armed robberies in such an area are serious and a substantial news event, yet we haven't heard about this until now, despite incidents noted in the news story going back to July.

Why haven't the police released information on these robberies sooner, and why hasn't the MSM reported these crimes?

KSTP Eyewitness News reports: "Robberies on the rise at Lake Calhoun".

Instead of hitting empty cars, criminals around Minneapolis' popular Lake Calhoun are now getting up close to their victims.

Police report a rise in robberies around the popular lake over the last few weeks. The robbers are usually armed with a gun or knife, and hit after dark, police report.

Kathleen Riley was sitting on a bench overlooking Lake Calhoun when three men snatched her purse Saturday evening.

"It happened really fast and then they were gone," she said. "It's sad that it's come to this. It's sad that this is OK to do to someone. I was just really mad. Really frustrated."

Police arrested the two men that they think robbed Riley, but her purse, cash, and credit cards are still missing.

"I miss my purse, if you see a really cute purse...it's mine."

For runners, bladers and bikers that use Calhoun as their exercise playground, the serene atmosphere and crime don't mix. But this summer, police say, crime is becoming more and more of a reality at the south Minneapolis hot spot.

Crime is becoming more and more of a reality all over the city. Crime at Lake Calhoun is only one symptom of the disease.

"I think it's very frightening and should be very alarming for the public, ya' know, and they should be aware of their surroundings," said Lt. Robert Goodsell, of the Minneapolis Police.

The crime against Riley was the fourth crime, or attempted crime, around the lake in the last month that police know of.

-On July 8, six suspects tried to rob a man at gunpoint [Ed. - Where was this report?]

-On July 24, a man was robbed at knifepoint [Or this?]

-On Aug. 5, a man and woman were robbed at gunpoint while sitting on a bench [Or this?]

To put those robberies in perspective, there were seven robberies reported in the area between January and August of this year, including the recent robberies. In all of 2005, only three robberies were reported in the area.

Why haven't gunpoint robberies by armed gangs at a high profile tourist destination been made public before this? Or did I just answer my own question?

Would you agree that a gang of six robbing a man at gunpoint at a major recreation/tourist area of Minneapolis is news?

The bottom line is there is a lot of violent crime happening in Minneapolis that is unreported, underreported, or late reported. In all cases, the public suffers.

Welcome to the Minneapolis Quagmire.

Exporting Crime

Minneapolis has seen an influx of criminals from cities such as Detroit, Gary, Kansas City, and Chicago. The "word on the street" has been that these hardened thugs with gang ties find it easier and more lucrative to do business in the Twin Cities than in the cities from which they came.

While I can offer no proof, empirical observation suggests that Minnesota's generous welfare benefits, social programs, and lenient court system all contribute to the problem.

Gangsters arrive and try to establish themselves in certain parts of the city. Rival gangsters do the same, and the inevitable conflict and struggle for territory results. Violence increases, murders go up, and the streets are not safe for anyone who gets in their way. The new breed of criminals fear nothing and no one, not even the police.

Good people of the Twin Cities and Minnesota at large suffer as a result.

So what happens when the criminal element is not drawn to a metropolitan area, but pushed? The results are virtually the same, as Houston, TX has discovered: "Katrina Victims Blamed for Houston Crime".

HOUSTON (AP) - A letter to inmate No. 1352951 and a cell phone bill for $76.63, both found in a soggy New Orleans duplex ruined by Hurricane Katrina, led Louisiana bounty hunter James Martin to Texas. Again.

It marked the seventh time since Katrina that Martin, whose pursuit of bail jumpers often begins with clues salvaged from abandoned New Orleans homes, has followed a trail to Texas.

"I don't think Texas really knows what they got," Martin said.

Katrina sent a lot of bad guys to Texas, as Houston is finding out.

The fallout from this export of criminals is staggering:

Houston took in 150,000 evacuees - the most of any U.S. city - after Katrina struck on Aug. 29. Houston police believe the evacuees are partly responsible for a nearly 17.5 percent increase in homicides so far this year over the same period in 2005.

About 21 percent of Houston's 232 homicides through July 25 involved an evacuee as either a suspect or a victim, according to police, who attribute much of the bloodshed to fighting among rival New Orleans gang members.

While Houston's problems are much larger in scale, the fundamental cause and effect is the same. The key word is "opportunity".

"I think some saw (Katrina) as an opportunity," Martin's bounty-hunting partner, Michael Wright, said of evacuees who fled New Orleans with criminal records. "No one knows who they are over here."

And New Orleans pre-Katrina sounds a lot like present day Minneapolis:

Evacuee Vincent Wilson, a leader of the Katrina Survivors Association, was impressed. He said that in New Orleans before Katrina, "everyone knows that if the jail's crowded you get a slap on the hand and get released."

Eckels predicted the county's worst guests will go home once their federal assistance dries up. And if many choose to stick around, the county will be ready: "We don't put up with it here. If you break the law, you're going to be prosecuted."

The difference is in Minnesota the assistance never dries up, and we do put up with it here.

Hot Burglary In Minneapolis

The Minneapolis Police SAFE Unit has issued a Crime Alert following a "hot" (with residents home) burglary in the Northrop neighborhood of Minneapolis:

Burglars enter Northrop parkway home August 14, 2006

Facts:

Police responded to a report of a burglary on Minnehaha Parkway East in Northrop neighborhood that took place between 3 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. Sunday morning, Aug. 13. Unidentified suspects entered the house while the victim was asleep and took numerous items. The victim was not injured. An investigation is underway. There is little available suspect information.

Hot burglaries are a particularly bold crime because of the exceedingly high chance of confrontation. This generally means the criminals (I note the release used the plural) are very desperate, or are not afraid of the resident. Neither case is good news.

It's likely that unless these rats are caught soon, they will strike again.

Vicious And Violent In Brooklyn Park

My previous post was about the "unusual" becoming the "usual" in the suburban Twin Cities, and, as if on cue, another one is being reported.

This one is even worse.

Simply doing one's job is becoming a dangerous proposition in the Twin Cities, as I've reported here. Now a newspaper worker reports being assaulted, raped, and robbed in Brooklyn Park.

Is there a new breed of criminal in Minnesota? They don't seem to care where, when, or on whom they commit their henious crimes.

KSTP Eyewitness News reports: "Woman sexually assualted in Brooklyn Park".

Early Sunday morning, a woman delivering the newspaper was attacked on her rounds in a Brooklyn Park neighborhood. The delivery woman was in the 7900 block of Lad Parkway when she was assaulted at 3:15 in the morning. The police report says a man on a bicycle approached the woman and beat her with a club before he raped her, robbed her, and forced the woman into a vehicle.

The suspect then forced the victim to drive him to a nearby Super America, where he tried to retrieve money from an ATM machine with the woman's bankcard. While the man was in the gas station, the victim in the car outside tried to gesture for help.

When the man was unable to withdraw money from the ATM, he forced the woman to drive him to a TCF Bank. Once again unable to retrieve money, the suspect drove back to Lad Parkway, where he left the victim and fled on a BMX bicycle.

It's getting tougher for the anti-2nd Amendment crowd to make their case, isn't it?

This was a particularly brutal crime that has left neighbors fearful, much like their counterparts in Minneapolis:

People in the Brooklyn Park neighborhood say they are on edge. "There was blood everywhere. All over the garage," a neighbor said.

Between the photo above and the helpful suspect description, let's see if we can catch this sewer rat, and soon.

Police are asking for help in the search for the suspect, who is described as a black male between 5'5 and 5'6, 130 to 140 pounds, and 17 to 22-years-old.

When Unusual Becomes Usual

How often have we heard lately city police spokesmen or a police chief describe a recent violent robbery in their city as "unusual" or an aberration?

The recent armed robbery of two women in Edina at the upscale 50th & France area, which I wrote about here and here, was described as unusual. Other armed robberies in previously quiet sections of Minneapolis have been described as aberrations or out of the norm. And now an armed robbery in Lakeville, MN, a suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul, is also described by Police Chief Steve Strachan as "unusual."

As violent criminals push out to new territory, is the unusual becoming usual?

The latest story was brought to my attention by reader Indy R. (H/T), and it's out of a publication called This Week Online: "Charges filed in robbery of pedestrians" [The story also appears in the Pioneer Press here].

Posted: 8/11/06

by Derrick Williams

Thisweek Newspapers

Two Lakeville men who were walking along Gerdine Path near Dodd Boulevard were robbed at gunpoint on Aug. 5 in what Police Chief Steve Strachan described as an “unusual” robbery.

“Most of the time robberies occur at establishments and businesses,” Strachan said. “This was unusual because it was a residential street and the suspects set out specifically to victimize pedestrians.”

Three men, 18-year-old Hassan Abdul of Eagan, 18-year-old Wod Talian of Burnsville, and 18-year-old Demetrius Lee Johnson of Apple Valley, were charged Tuesday by the Dakota County Attorney’s office with first-degree aggravated robbery.

Additional charges could be looming after authorities learned of a similar pedestrian holdup that occurred that morning in Burnsville.

Strachan said that authorities are investigating whether the three men are involved in that incident as well.

According to Lakeville Police, the pedestrians said they were approached by two men who asked for directions to a local restaurant. After giving directions, the pedestrians began to walk away when one of the men pulled out a handgun and took their wallets and cell phones.

Lakeville Police responded to the incident and began checking with local gas stations when they learned that one of the stolen credit cards had been used to purchase gas.

“That is how we hooked them up to a vehicle,” Strachan said.

Lakeville Police broadcast a description of the vehicle and Apple Valley Police stopped a car later that evening.

The robbery victims were able to identify the men from a lineup.

A search of the vehicle yielded the weapon allegedly used in the robbery.

Bail was set at $60,000 for all three men. Their next court date is set for Aug. 28.

Derrick Williams is at lakeville.thisweek@ecm-inc

Yeoman's work by the Lakeville and Apple Valley police.

And by the way, lest those of a sensitive nature become offended, the fact that at least two of the suspects have Somali-sounding names should not, I repeat not, lead anyone to believe this is a trend. It's only a coincidence, an anomoly - very, very unusual.

You should not make a connection of the names of these suspects with the description of the recent Fringe Festival robbers ("mugged by two Somali men"), which I noted here.

That in turn should not lead to any funny ideas about the names of the suspects in the recent Samurai sword incident (Hossem Chalbi, 18, and Mohammed Khalil, 29), which was noted here.

None of that should be conected to the suspects here, or in any of these robbery stories here.

And please, whatever you do, don't make any connection to this behavior.

If you draw any conclusions, you're on your own. I just present the facts.

UPDATE: (H/T Rambix reader Bjorn):

This is just the beginning, and no matter how bad it gets, some people will always have trouble facing up to facts....here's a link to Somali immigrants in Norway are responsible for a rape epidemic, and the Norweigian govt will do worse than nothing.Bjorn 08.14.06 - 7:54 pm Gates of Vienna blog: "Norwegian Authorities Still Covering Up Muslim Rapes".

Back to the case at hand:

We have access to mug shots in Dakota County, why not Hennepin? Here are photos of the suspects and even the criminal complaint (when will Henn. Co. catch up with the times?):

Abdul Hassan

Wod Talian


Demetrius Johnson

Mayor Rybak Opines On Juvenile Crime

The Minneapolis Downtown Journal has published an article on the juvenile crime problem in Minneapolis here. The interview also includes a (very) brief interview with Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak which reveals his fuzzy thinking, misplaced priorities, complete misunderstanding of the nature of the crime problem (see the previous post for a link to real crime solutions):

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak

DTJ: What is the reason for increased juvenile crime in Minneapolis?

Rybak: “The factors fueling juvenile crime are complex and not necessarily unique to Minneapolis. Cities across the nation are facing this problem. We face an unacceptable proliferation of guns in our community, which land into the hands of younger and younger kids. We face gangs being funded in large part by marijuana sales. More broadly, we face an overwhelming sense of hopelessness among too many youth who do not see a positive future for themselves. Unfortunately, at the same time all this is happening, we have a state and federal government abdicating their responsibility in this area with damaging budget cuts.”

DTJ: What needs to be done to reverse the recent crime trend?

Rybak: “We need a combination of tough enforcement for those committing crime and efforts to prevent crime. We are putting more cops on the street and increasing police presence and visibility. We have created a juvenile crime unit to arrest juvenile offenders and connect them to needed social services that prevent repeat offenses. But we cannot arrest the problem of crime away. As a community, we need to take responsibility for our youth, hold them accountable, and give them a sense of hope. All of us need to take a deeper personal responsibility for changing this culture of violence and hopelessness.”

The article also includes brief interviews with Interim Chief Dolan, a judge, and a probation official. These are worth looking at, because these are the folks who represent the "system", and have a direct impact on outcomes.

[Photo courtesy Downtown Journal]

Public Safety

While Rambix and the Red Star is not a political blog, crime rates, crime prevention, and crime matters are intertwined with the political realm. Aside from that aspect, I'll generally not get involved in heavy politics as one might find on Kennedy vs. The Machine or Minnesota Democrats Exposed, except today I'm going to throw in a plug for a fellow blogger.

Rambix reader and frequent (and astute) commentator Barry Hickethier ("NordEaster") is running for State Representative in Northeast Minneapolis (HD59A).

I don't know Barry other than what I've seen in his commenting, but he strikes me as having a great deal of common-sense. For example, he came up with some excellent solutions to the Minneapolis crime problem, which I posted here. He is proactive on crime and public safety issues, which are subjects near and dear to my heart.

Here's his website, and if you like what you see, then keep him in mind as the elections approach, and remember that we need to "clean house" of folks like those described in the previous post.

Convicted!

The Minnesota Democrat/Liberal Criminal list grows by one with the conviction of former Minneapolis City Councilman Dean "Zimmerperson" Zimmermann. WCCO News reports: "Former Mpls. Councilman Convicted For Bribery".

From various sources:

***NEW!***
(AP) Minneapolis A former Minneapolis City Council member was convicted Thursday in federal court on charges related to taking bribes from a developer who had business before the city.

Dean Zimmermann, 64, who represented the city's sixth ward from 2001 to 2005, was convicted of three of four charges contained in the indictment.

The charges he was convicted of involved accusations that he took $7,200 in cash from property developer Gary Carlson. The government presented video tapes of him taking the money during the eight-day trial. (8/10/06 WCCO web site) CONVICTED!

1) Former state DFL Sen. Winston "Win" Borden was sentenced today to serve 27 months in prison for failing to pay federal income taxes for the past six years. (10/27/04 Pioneer Press) CONVICTED!

2) State DFL Rep. Phyllis Kahn pleaded guilty to theft on Thursday for stealing campaign literature. Hennepin County District Judge Stephen Aldrich ordered Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, to pay $200 in prosecution costs but agreed to defer any additional sentence for a year and dismiss the misdemeanor charge then if she has no similar violations. (9/24/04 Star Tribune) PLED GUILTY, FINED!

3) A federal grand jury indicted former state DFL Rep. Loren Jennings on Tuesday on charges of mail fraud and money laundering and accused him of using the power of his legislative office to steer $650,000 in state grant money to a telephone-pole recycling business in which he had a financial interest.
(10/20/04 Star Tribune) CONVICTED!

4)A Minnesota sports entrepreneur who was awaiting sentencing for a fraud conviction is in jail after allegedly lying to try to borrow more money. Pat Forciea [Former DFL operative], 46, had pleaded guilty in July to fraud charges involving more than $5.6 million in bank loans he used to buy minor league hockey teams. [snip] In July Forciea admitted engineering a spree of wire fraud, forgeries and unauthorized cash transfers in an attempt to build a minor league hockey and baseball empire. His plan collapsed after one of his employees uncovered falsified business documents that inflated the worth of one of his hockey teams. (11/6/04 Pioneer Press) CONVICTED!

5) Brian Herron, Minneapolis City Council member served prison time for corruption. CONVICTED!

6) Joe Biernat, Minneapolis City Council member is served prison time for corruption.
CONVICTED!

7) The Federal Elections Commission has fined the Minnesota House Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus $45,000 for campaign finance violations. The FEC ruled the House DFL caucus illegally transferred $69,200 between its state and federal campaign accounts between January and October 2002. FINED!

8. Twenty-first Century Democrats, a national political action committee that was active in Minnesota this year, has received a record fine for failing to disclose its donors to state regulators. Two fines, totaling $317,950, were announced Tuesday by the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. (12/22/04 Pioneer Press) FINED!

***UPDATE***

MORE, thanks to GOP Newsline:

~Rep. Allan Welle misused the state's phone card and started a scandal known as "phonegate."

~Sen. Joe Bertram shoplifted a leather vest from a store in his district.

~Rep. Jeff Bertram was brought before the House Ethics Committee for bullying his constituents.

~Rep. Bob Johnson accumulated three drunk driving charges in three different counties in less than one year.

~Sen. Florian Chmielewski and Sen. Sam Solon pleaded guilty to misdemeanor telecommunications fraud.

~Sen. Skip Finn was convicted of twelve felony counts of misapplying funds from the Leech Lake Reservation.

[Photo courtesy WCCO News]

The Story Behind The Story

By now, many of you have read about the bizarre crime from early this morning in Minneapolis involving a sword, self-defense, and multiple bloody people.

The sword and severed body parts are, of course, the angle highlighted by the local MSM, and rightly so. We shouldn't overlook, however, the story behind the story, and that's the armed home invasion by two unidentified men in the Uptown area of Minneapolis. That's the angle I'm interested in.

Minneapolis has seen more than its share of home invasion robberies over the past year or so, with most, if not all, involving extreme violence. This case is no exception. What's driving these brazen crimes?

It might be that connections exist between the victim and the criminals in these kind of events. Those that don't participate in "high risk lifestyles" might take comfort that such crimes won't happen to them.

That would be a false comfort, in my view.

Robbers have been known to invade the wrong address, shots can go wild, people can be carjacked as the criminals try to escape. In other words, violent home invasions involving weapons are everyone's problem, especially in place like high-density Uptown.

These particular criminals were allegedly armed with a gun, but there is no report of shots fired.

Here's the KSTP News story for those that haven't seen it:

Police are investigating reports of severed fingers, after a stabbing in the Uptown area overnight.

Police arrived at 31st and Lyndale Aves. S. in Minneapolis around 3 a.m., finding two victims that appeared to have been stabbed with a two-and-a-half foot Samurai-style sword. The two victims were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center.

Later, two more suspects then showed up at HCMC with stab wounds, and police took those people into custody. The suspects taken into custody were identified as Hossem Chalbi, 18, and Mohammed Khalil, 29.

"I saw the first guy rolling down the stairs at me completely on fire with blood," witness Matthew Tellfair told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. "I did see an EMT coming past with a bag of fingers in their hand saying 'we're going to try and match these up.'"

There's probably more to this story than initially reported, but it can only add to the Minneapolis Quagmire.

Murder Arrest & Minneapolis Cops Put On Leave

KSTP News reports the swift arrest of a murder suspect in the killing of the pizza delivery driver last Sunday night.

Minneapolis Police Tuesday arrested a suspect in connection with the murder of the pizza deliveryman who was killed Sunday night in north Minneapolis.

Jermaine Mack-Lynch, 20, of Minneapolis, was arrested at 12: 30 p.m. Tuesday without incident in the 1500 block of Newton Ave. N. He was arrested for Probable Cause Murder and will be booked into Hennepin County Jail.

A case will be presented to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office for consideration of charges.

Let's hope this alleged thug will lead the police to his alleged co-conspirators. Great work by the Minneapolis Police.

That said, several officers have been placed on paid leave following the take-down of a belligerent suspect: "Minneapolis Police confront knife wielding man".

A caller stated her friend was suffering from a possible methamphetamine overdose. When firefighters arrived, they were confronted by a 32 year old man who was wielding a knife and threatening to harm him self and others.

In light of the threat to firefighters and other people's safety, Firefighters called for Minneapolis Police Department officers to assist with the confrontational person...Officers attempted to intervene with the person brandishing the knife. An officer deployed a Taser, but despite its effects, the person continued to struggle with multiple officers.

The man was subdued, however his medical condition deteriorated; he was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center. The victim is still hospitalized at HCMC.

The "victims" here are the officers, not the crazed drug fiend. Let's not forget who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. This creep is lucky the warm and fuzzy crowd now expects officers to treat the mentally disturbed with kid gloves (placing the good guys in more danger, of course). He's lucky he didn't get shot.

And let's get these officers back on the street as soon as possible to deal with the ongoing Minneapolis Quagmire.

Out Of Control - 2nd Shooting At Minneapolis Murder Site And More

KARE 11 News reports the almost unbelieveable (were it not Minneapolis) occurrence of a second shooting at the site of last Sunday's murder. There has also been another shooting, reulting in the 41st murder victim of the year in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis police are investigating a deadly shooting overnight on the city's south side, and a non-fatal shooting at the same site as a killing Monday.

Police say a metro transit bus driver spotted a man lying on the ground at Nicollet Avenue and west 24th Street around 2:00 a.m. Tuesday.

When officers arrived, they found the man shot to death.

In addition to that crime, armed thugs went back to the site of Sunday's murder and beat and shot one of the occupants:

Same Address, another shooting

Police are investigating a shooting at the same north Minneapolis home where a pizza delivery man was killed Sunday night.

Resident Qunisha Bishop told reporters three men broke in through the back door early Tuesday, hit her boyfriend over the head and shot him in the leg.

She says robbery was the motive. Her boyfriend has been hospitalized.

It's not clear if there's any connection to Sunday's fatal shooting of Pizza Hut delivery driver Toua Xiong outside the same house.

The owners of the Pizza Hut where Xiong worked have put up a $25,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the killer.

Police believe the shooter was in a group of three to five young men who might have been bent on robbery. But they ran from the scene without taking the victim's cash.

Welcome to the Minneapolis Quagmire. It defies belief. It also begs a question: Who owns the streets in Minneapolis?

Robbery At University Of Minnesota During Fringe Festival

Despite what you might think about the "Fringe" Festival currently going on around the Twin Cities, robbery is serious business. Hat tip to, well, "Anonymous" for pointing out this blog entry following a robbery by Somali gangsters at the University of Minnesota's West Bank: "From Hopkins to Huskies and Other Such Inconceivable Events".

then my night took a turn for the worse. i was about 10 feet from my car when i was mugged by two Somali men who stole my purse, digital camera, driver's liscence, bank card, college id, cell phone, fringe pass, wallet, blog notes, and everything else that was in the purse. thank G-d i was holding onto my car keys! i spent forever filing a report and when i got home, someone called my mom's cell from mine. assholes! people suck! i am so sorry, but i am not at all in the mood to review the two shows i saw, right now. also, my notes were stolen, so they will not be completely thorough and accurate reviews.

AND, on top of that, i missed the burlesque ball which i was looking forward to, highly.

i am disappointed that the fringe had to be in downtown instead of uptown b/c if it is not safe for fringers, they won't want to go! i am not having fun with fringe this year like i usually do...

The victim is Rachel Sachs, 2006 graduate of Hopkins High School (suburb of Minneapolis for you non-locals).

Ms. Sachs doesn't say whether or not the criminals were armed.

The comments to her blog posting are interesting, ranging from those who indicated more concern over her reportedly rude treatment by a Fringe staff member, to a commenter who asked why she thought it important to point out the thugs were Somali (Is that commenter a staff member of the Red Star, by chance?).

I'm sure Ms. Sachs would appreciate some comments by Rambix readers.

Fox 9 News Reports Serial Robberies

The Fox 9 TV news is good for crime reporting, but unfortunately their website is not up to par. The site very rarely has timely crime news, even for stories reported by their own TV news operation. Tonight's robbery story is no exception.

I find no link for this information, but Fox 9 TV News reports tonight that there has been an ongoing string of armed robberies of St. Paul area businesses. One of the thugs has been captured, but there are several more on the loose. Also, written plans were found that involved expanding their operation to Minneapolis (of course), specifically Loring Park.

If anyone finds a link for this story, please let me know.

#40 - Minneapolis Pizza Delivery Man Murdered

In another "high risk activity" murder, a Pizza Hut delivery man was gunned down on the North Side of Minneapolis, becoming murder victim #40 of the year.

On September 19, 2005, I reported the shooting of a Qwest worker in Minneapolis during broad daylight while on the job here and here.

On April 12, 2006, I reported shots fired at a newspaper carrier while doing his job here and here.

Too many service workers have apparently not heeded Mayor Rybak's warning about participating in "high risk activities".

KARE 11 News reports: "Pizza delivery man gunned down".

A pizza delivery driver is the latest homicide victim in Minneapolis.

The city's 40th killing this year happened on the north side about 10:00 p.m. Sunday.

Minneapolis police say the man had just finished delivering to a near 29th and Colfax when he was gunned down in the street.

"It's just a tragedy. The guy is trying to make a living and make some money and he gets shot for no reason at all," Minneapolis Police Lieutenant Michael Sauro.

The utter depravity of killing a delivery driver is something to behold. The likely motive would be robbery, but how much money would a delivery driver have on his person at any one time? I would imagine not much, which means a life was callously taken for some pocket money.

Minneapolis criminals will take a life for almost no reason at all.

Even the police don't understand it:

Officers are combing the area looking for suspects, but so far no one has been arrested. Several people did hear the shots but no one has reported seeing the shooting.

Police are trying to determine why someone would target the pizza driver.

The driver was working at the Pizza Hut at Broadway and Gerard [sic].

Let's hope this scumbag is caught soon.

[Photo courtesy KARE 11 News]

Minneapolis City Councilman Corruption Trial

Some of you may recall that Rambix and the Red Star has been loosely tracking Minneapolis & Minnesota Democrat & liberal public office criminals. The list is quite lengthy.

Here's the link: "Minnesota Democrat criminal list grows".

Now another (former) Minneapolis City Councilman is on trial after being caught on film taking a bag of cash. Fortunately he's being tried in a real courtroom, federal court, where he will not get one-day-in-jail-and-15-years-probation if convicted.

Real justice is dispensed in federal court.

For you trial watchers, comprehensive trial notes can be found at Minneapolis Confidential and some good commentary at the Minneapolis Upside Down blog.

Will the Minnesota Democrat/liberal criminal list grow by one? Stay tuned.

Edina Robbers Charged

On July 25th I wrote about the Edina armed robbery which happened close to the upscale 50th & France section of town, sited just on the border of Minneapolis. I predicted the three thugs, excuse me, scumbags, would be from Minneapolis.

Well, I was right on one of them. It turns out the other two were from Eagan and Richfield, as you'll see further below.

I always like getting first-hand information about these events; information the MSM doesn't provide. Here's some background taken from a previous comment from "Edina Homeowner":

There is more to the story. You may wonder why KSTP shows a picture of 44th and Grimes (about 6 houses from our front door). Apparently there was also a robbery at 9:30 PM the day BEFORE the other robbery. A woman had her purse stolen at gunpoint! See URL for the Sun Current.

Note! This earlier robbery is in the evening just after sundown and not like the 'after mid-night' robbery on the 25th. That is 'pretty brazen' activity. We walk at night in this Edina neighborhood. In fact, I might have been riding my bike past that intersection after going around Lake Harriet that night.

The police speculate it was probably the same 4 people that were arrested for the 7/25 robbery. I have not learned if that suspicion has been confirmed. Or, do we have 2 gang incidents in Edina.

Rambix, I've been following your blog since the Uptown shooting. Please keep up the good work.

I am dismayed at the lack of serious response by Minneapolis city officials to the Under-Reported crime wave. And, now it appears to be spilling over into our neighborhood.

Clearly, these criminals do not pay attention to city boundries. We all have to work to solve this problem. I called Edina city hall tonight to find out about Neighbor Watch Groups and any other actions that would be useful. Regards.
Edina Homeowner Homepage 07.27.06 - 8:38 pm

Thanks for the nice words, E.H., but thanks even more for the first-hand account of a disturbing trend.

It's not that it's unusual for robberies to be committed in the Twin Cities area, or any large metropolitan area. What is unusual or troubling is when the activity spills over into previously safe areas, as E.H describes. I suspect if you interviewed ten random people and asked how safe they felt in the 50th & France area in the past, all ten would give it the highest marks.

This is why even suburbanites can't ignore the mess that Minneapolis Mayor Rybak has let fester across the border.

The Edina Sun newspaper reports further details and describes the charges filed against the criminal suspects: "Three charged in Edina street robbery".

A $40 robbery could mean lengthy prison sentences for three teenagers accused of robbing two women at gunpoint near their Edina apartment building.

The men face robbery and kidnapping charges filed last week in connection with a July 25 incident that began in the 3900 block of West 49th Street and ended at a supermarket two blocks away.

Each man is charged with two counts of kidnapping and two counts of aggravated first-degree robbery. If convicted of both charges, each suspect could face a maximum 40-year prison sentence.

Ezequel Guiterrez, 19, of Eagan; Tacorrious Alonzo Cooper, 19, of Minneapolis; and Corey Cornell Gosha, 18, of Richfield remained in custody last week with appearances in Hennepin County District Court pending.

Each criminal could face 40 years - what are the odds they'll get those kinds of sentences in Amy Klobuchar's Hennepin County?

TV News showed the criminal's mugshots, but I don't see them online. If anyone has a link to the mugshots, please let me know and I'll post it (For some reason, Hennepin County website/jail roster still refuses to provide the mugshots).