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6 Suspects Caught In N. Minneapolis Home Break-In Wave

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Police in Minneapolis today are investigating a rash of home break-ins.

Burglars have broken into at least 42 homes in North Minneapolis over the past two weeks.

Some of the cases happened at night while families were asleep.

No one has been hurt, but a lot of property, money and guns were taken.

"For sure, we have two different things going on here," police inspector Michael Friestleben said.

Friestleben said it is impossible to tie all 42 burglaries together, but investigators believe there may be at least two different groups preying on North Side homeowners.

The first 22 burglaries took place between March 17 and 23.

The Lind-Bohanon neighborhood was hit hard, with eight homes targeted in one night.

"Three people on my block," said one Camden neighborhood resident who did not want to be identified. "When I discovered that someone had tried to break in, I shared it through Facebook to my neighborhood group, so that they were aware of it, and that's how I learned other neighbors were impacted."

Police said neighbors working together helped them find their suspects.

"Several suspects were going through alleys, and they were getting into garages, cars and the back of houses," Friestleben said.

Investigators caught six people who they believe are responsible for the first wave of burglaries.

A second wave took place between March 24 and 30 -- 20 homes were broken into.

"Today we might have got some lucky leads and some breaks and possibly ID'd two possible suspects," Friestleben said.

Friestleben said because neighbors got involved and called 911, these burglaries may get solved.

"We're teaching them to call 911," Friestleben said. "If it's not right, we'll sort it out. We'll tell you if the guy on your neighbors' porch is the uncle who is supposed to be there or if he's not the uncle who's supposed to be there."

Despite the recent home break-ins, burglaries are actually down 15-percent in north Minneapolis, compared with last year.

Charges against the suspects in custody are pending.

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