A duo that claimed to be out for a walk in the middle of the night was arrested on suspicion of felony theft, accused of attempting to steal the wheels from a vehicle parked at a Bloomington car dealership.
Police officers were dispatched to the intersection of Lyndale Avenue and American Boulevard at approximately 2:30 a.m. April 8, following a report of suspicious activity near the Goodwill store at the intersection. The call came from a witness at the neighboring Home Depot, according to Bloomington Police Cmdr. Damon Bitney.
Officers arriving at the scene found a 38-year-old Bloomington man and a 24-year-old Elk River woman in the area. They matched the description provided by the witness, who reported that the duo appeared to be trying to force their way into a fenced area at Bloomington Acura, 7801 Lyndale Ave., Bitney explained.
As an officer questioned the duo about their late-night stroll, another officer checked the Acura lot, and spotted a vehicle with its wheels removed and stacked next to it. A jack and flashlight were also found near the vehicle, Bitney noted.
The Bloomington man, who was sweating profusely, had visible work gloves tucked into his pants pocket. An officer’s questions of the duo regarding the stacked wheels from the parked vehicle resulted in the duo’s arrest on suspicion of theft, according to Bitney.
A search of the suspects following their arrest turned up lug nuts in the woman’s pocket, which appeared to be from the wheels that had been removed from parked vehicle, as matching lug nuts were found by the vehicle, Bitney said.
The suspects had been staying at the nearby Extended Stay America, 7956 Lyndale Ave., and had a vehicle at the hotel. From outside the vehicle, officers saw a variety of automotive parts inside, and a search of the vehicle turned up additional lug nuts matching those in the woman’s pocket and on the ground next to the vehicle, Bitney explained.
The Acura dealership estimated the value of the wheels at more than $4,000, he added.
Assault arrest
A 38-year-old man was arrested following a report that he was fighting with his girlfriend outside their Bloomington residence, the apparent result of an argument that began at a restaurant.
Police officers were dispatched to the 1300 block of Devonshire Curve at approximately 10:30 p.m. April 9. One witness at the scene reported that the suspect was hitting his girlfriend. Another 911 call indicated that a woman could be heard calling for help and saying she was being choked, Bitney said.
Officers arriving at the scene spotted a male and female outside the residence. The man was beginning to walk away as officers arrived, and he was instructed to stop and put his hands behind his back as an officer approached him. He declined, and continued to walk away. When an officer grabbed his arm, the man pulled away and pushed the officer in the chest. At that point he was informed he was under arrest, Bitney explained.
After a brief scuffle, the man was handcuffed with the assistance of a second officer, he added.
After the suspect was arrested, an officer spoke with his 36-year-old girlfriend. The woman was distraught and crying, and the officer could see marks on her neck, Bitney said.
The woman reported that she had been dining and drinking at a restaurant with her boyfriend, and during the dinner they began arguing. The suspect took her cellphone and left the restaurant without her, forcing her to arrange a ride home. Upon arriving home, they continued to argue, according to Bitney.
The argument turned violent, according to the woman, when her boyfriend grabbed her around the neck and started squeezing. The woman was unable to pull his hands off her neck, but he released her after approximately one minute. She was able to exit their home, and sought help from neighbors. As she did so, her boyfriend reportedly threw an object at her, which hit her in the back. As she attempted to flee, he grabbed her, moments before a police officer arrived. A witness said he appeared to be choking her again, Bitney explained.
The suspect was booked on suspicion of domestic assault, domestic assault involving strangulation and obstructing a police officer with force.
Unwelcome visitor
A 37-year-old man with no permanent address was arrested on suspicion of burglary, hours after he was reported to be at his brother’s Bloomington apartment without permission.
Police officers were dispatched to the 1900 block of East 86th Street at approximately 3:30 p.m. April 12. At the apartment, a 41-year-old woman reported that she shares the apartment with the suspect’s brother. When she returned to the apartment, the door appeared to be damaged. Inside, she found the suspect, who did not have permission to be in the apartment, Bitney said.
She argued with the suspect and told him to leave, which he did. He returned minutes later, however, and kicked the door open. The woman confronted him again, and reported that the suspect pushed her, causing her to fall backward onto the floor. The suspect began throwing items around the apartment before leaving with her cellphone, Bitney explained.
Officers were initially unable to locate the suspect in the neighborhood, but the police received a report of a suspicious male hanging out near Highway 77, west of the intersection of East 87th Street and Longfellow Avenue. An officer responding to the report found the man. While talking to him, the officer determined that he matched the suspect’s description, and after being questioned about the apartment incident, the man acknowledged that he was the suspect and had been at the apartment earlier that afternoon, resulting in his arrest on suspicion of first-degree burglary.
Follow Bloomington community editor Mike Hanks on Twitter at @suncurrent and on Facebook at suncurrentcentral.
April 22, 2021 at 05:45AM
https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_current/community/bloomington/suspected-wheel-thieves-claimed-they-were-simply-out-for-a-walk/article_ebeafa96-a2df-11eb-9ac3-8fb2f24a1fa6.html
Suspected wheel thieves claimed they were simply out for a walk - ECM Publishers
https://news.google.com/search?q=Wheel&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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