UPDATED News Release with new information on the impact of the Curfew Task Force on violent crime and juvenile arrests (New information in bold italic)
February 9, 2025 (MINNEAPOLIS) Chief Brian O’Hara announced tonight that a collaborative effort between the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and its law enforcement partners led to the swift arrest of six juveniles following a violent carjacking incident in Northeast Minneapolis.
On February 7th, at approximately 4:30 p.m., a 62-year-old woman was attacked and carjacked while walking from her vehicle to a residence. A group of juveniles jumped out of a vehicle, tackled her to the ground, stole her car keys, and fled the scene in her vehicle.
Approximately three hours later, MPD officers in the 4th Precinct located the carjacked vehicle near Plymouth Avenue North and Logan Avenue North. The stolen vehicle's location was partially determined with the help of information provided to the police by some parents of the juveniles in the carjacked vehicle. As officers attempted a traffic stop, the vehicle fled. State Patrol quickly took over the pursuit from the air and tracked the stolen car while officers followed at a safe distance. The vehicle stopped near 8th Av N and Queen Av N where six juveniles got out of the vehicle and hid in a nearby garage.
Officers established a perimeter and successfully called the suspects out of hiding. The six individuals—five boys and one girl, ranging in age from 11 to 15—were taken into custody and booked into the Juvenile Detention Center. The MPD Curfew Task Force assisted in the arrests and booking process. Chief O’Hara implemented the MPD Curfew Task Force in August 2024 to address issues involving juveniles during the early morning hours on weekends, following two significant incidents in which teens were injured or killed. Since the Task Force’s inception, Minneapolis has seen a 66% reduction in new youth offenders of violent crime and nearly 40% reduction in all juvenile violent crime and auto theft. More background information on the Task Force can be found below.
All six juveniles involved in Friday's carjacking have active investigations pending with MPD, and one, a 15-year-old boy, was wanted for attempted murder.
Chief O’Hara said MPD is grateful to the MN State Patrol and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in the tracking and arrests.
“This was great collaborative work that interrupted the recurring criminal behavior of a group of juveniles,” said MPD Chief O’Hara. “I am thankful for recent investments in facilities designed to address youth behavior issues. However, the gap that allows juveniles to cycle in and out of the system remains. We need increased urgency among all leaders in our community and in government to address this issue. The current system is failing, putting our youth, their victims, and even our officers at risk.”
About the MPD Curfew Task Force
In August 2024, Chief Brian O’Hara implemented the MPD Curfew Task Force to address issues involving juveniles during the early morning hours on weekends, following two significant incidents in which teens were injured or killed. MPD collaborated with community groups on weekends to engage with youth under 18 before curfew. Today, beyond interacting with juveniles before and after curfew, this task force conducts home visits for juveniles known to be involved in repeated criminal activity. Investigators within the task force meet with these juveniles and their families or caregivers to provide support and connect them with resources. This proactive approach fostered relationships that to date, (as of February 9th, 2025) has resulted in a 66% reduction in new youth offenders of violent crime and nearly 40% reduction in all juvenile violent crime and auto theft.
2-9-2025 MR 25-031917 Minneapolis Police Department Arrests Six Juveniles Involved in Violent Car Jacking - UPDATE with Juvenile Task Force Stats.pdf
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