Another armed robbery reported early Sunday morning contributed to an uptick of robberies near the University of Minnesota in recent weeks.
An attempted vehicle theft was the only other notable crime reported in the area since last week.
Man robbed at gunpoint
Early on Jan. 31, three males reportedly robbed a man at gunpoint near Eighth Street Southeast and 12th Avenue Southeast.
The robbery took place at about 3:45 a.m. Sunday, according to a Minneapolis Police Department statement posted on Facebook.
Andrew Lash, 29, was walking to his car in Dinkytown when the group of men approached him, he said.
They asked him for the time, Lash said, but he told them he didn’t have his phone on him and kept walking.
Afterward, one of the men pulled out a gun, Lash said.
“I didn’t see the gun at first,” Lash said. “I thought it was a fist, so I blocked it. Then I saw it was a gun, and I backed off.”
The men took his wallet and walked away, Lash said. Lash drove to the precinct and reported the crime.
While this is the sixth armed robbery reported in the area since late last month, MPD spokesman John Elder said the recent incident is most likely unrelated to the others.
Police suspect at least three of the first five robberies were committed by the same people, he said.
The University of Minnesota Police Department has sent out extra patrols in order to help prevent any additional robberies, said Deputy Chief Chuck Miner.
Attempted car theft
UMPD arrested four males, three of whom were minors, after they allegedly attempted to steal a car Saturday, Miner said.
When police approached the group on 13th Avenue Southeast, they ran away, he said.
One of the juveniles was arrested for having a felony warrant, the police report read.
The other two were charged with fleeing on foot, Miner said. Jibril Abdisalan, 18, was arrested for allegedly tampering with a motor vehicle and fleeing on foot, according to the report.
