3 Assaults Of Bicyclists In 3 Nights On Midtown Greenway

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Police say bikers are being attacked on the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis, and officers are seeing a clear pattern.

The assaults have happened three nights in a row on the Greenway, near Bloomington Avenue and Cedar Avenue South.

The assaults have happened around the same time, 11 p.m each night.

The first one happened on Aug. 30, according to incident reports. A juvenile biking around 11:13 p.m. was robbed. Suspects took a cell phone and earbuds.

The next robbery happened around 11:15 p.m. on Aug. 31. Reports say a 22-year-old man was assaulted and robbed while biking on the Midtown Greenway near Bloomington Avenue South. The man was treated for non-life threatening injuries at Methodist Hospital.

The third robbery happened on Sept. 1 around 11:05 p.m. The victim was riding his bike on the Greenway near Cedar Avenue South when a man stepped in front of his bike and told him to stop. The victim says a second man stopped and pulled out a homemade knife-type object and punched the victim in the face and repeatedly said, "Do you want me to kill you?"

Both suspects grabbed the victims backpack and ran.

Officers say the descriptions and robberies seem similar. They say the men seem to be wearing hoodies.

"We have a pattern now that seems pretty brazen, night after night," Minneapolis Police Cmdr. Bruce Folkens said. "We really want to get on this and catch these folks."

Police say even though you are mobile when biking, you should be as wary as you would if you were walking at night. They suggest biking in groups of two to three people in the dark.

And staff at Penn Cycle suggest night riders use extra bright lights. They say if someone tries to stop you, keep going or U-turn if possible.

If you have tips on these crimes, you can call Minneapolis Police at 612-673-3482 or 612-825-6138.