VIDEO: 120+ Cars Broken Into in Minnepolis in One Night

Minneapolis police say at least 125 more cars were broken into — mostly through smashed windows — overnight, continuing the troubled trend as investigators continue to search for suspects.

One of the hardest hit spots Monday night into Tuesday morning was northeast Minneapolis, near Marshall Street and Broadway Avenue, where cell phone video shared with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS showed an organized and aggressive strategy by the criminals — seemingly going vehicle by vehicle, smashing windows and searching for goods to steal.

“[It] made me cry. It was really, really a punch to the gut watching someone else inside my vehicle. I mean, it makes me scared to even come out here at night sometimes, too,” Brooke Tuff, whose brand new SUV’s window was smashed, said about watching the video.

“Thankfully, I didn’t have anything valuable, kind of from the recent break-ins, taking everything out, so just making sure nothing was in there,” Tuff added.

Her neighbor Teddie Hoppmann suffered the same fate.

“This has happened before already. So once I saw, you know, more glass and some cops kind of hanging around doing their thing, I was like, ope,” Hoppmann said. “Hopefully [they’ll figure it] out, catch some people, and hopefully that’ll help them deter what’s going on.”

Over the last several weeks, there have been hundreds of reports of vehicles getting broken into in the city.

We asked for an on-camera interview with the Minneapolis police, but they sent the following statement. It also confirmed there are extra patrols in the targeted areas — but didn’t say how many patrols, how often they’re in the areas, and if there is anything else that could put an end to this recent outbreak.

Overnight from Aug. 11 to Aug. 12, MPD responded to at least 125 reports of broken vehicle windows occurring in groupings – meaning multiple vehicles on the same block were damaged during the same date and time. The areas affected were all in the 2nd and 5th Precincts.

Currently, there are no arrests that have been connected to these sprees.

Investigators continue to process available evidence and are actively pursuing leads. They are also working to determine if any of the sprees are connected.

MPD has crime and intelligence analysts actively monitoring the trend and sharing information with neighboring jurisdictions.

MPD continues collaborating with other cities that have experienced similar trends.

We urge the public to report suspicious and criminal activity immediately every time it occurs. Your call makes a difference. Calling 911 immediately can lead to the quick arrest of individuals engaged in damaging vehicles.

While the cases highlighted are not believed to be connected to the recent sprees, two recent posts show the results of immediately calling 911 by clicking HERE or HERE.

If you witness these crimes, important information to note and report includes:

• Clothing descriptions of those involved

• Any vehicles they may arrive or leave in, including license plates

• Location or direction of travel

If your vehicle was damaged or broken into recently, please report it immediately by either calling 911 or 311. You can also report it in person at your nearest precinct, or file an online report HERE.

If you see multiple vehicles in the same area that have been damaged, please call 911 and ask for an officer to respond to the scene.

If you live in one of these areas, check any security cameras or doorbell cameras that may have captured the incidents. If you locate footage you believe may be related, you can call 911 or 311 or go in person to the nearest precinct to provide the footage to investigators.

If you have security or doorbell cameras, you can register it with the city to help investigators quickly identify cameras in case of an incident. You can read more about the program and register your cameras HERE.

Some tips to help prevent future vehicle damage and break-ins include:

• Report suspicious activity near vehicles to 911 immediately

• When calling 911, helpful information for officers includes:
  

• Description of individuals engaged in the behavior

• Description, including license plates of any vehicles involved

• Direction of travel of those involved

• Park in well-lit and busy areas

• Take your keys with you

• Hide or take your valuables with you
  

• Items like phones, bags, or electronics can be a target for vehicle thieves