20 Arrested, 18 Charged In Brutal Downtown Minneapolis Robberies

Twenty people arrested, 18 of them now charged — all connected to brutal robberies in downtown Minneapolis.

The attacks were caught on surveillance video, taking place in August. Police say groups of people would target one person, assault them, and often to take their cellphone and wallet. The 18 suspects range in age from 15 to 27.

Walking alone is all part of Sneh Bhakta’s commute in downtown Minneapolis.

“It does make me feel singled out because all the time I am alone,” Bhakta said. “And like when I commute at 6 in the morning, I am by myself, at the train station I’m alone.”

His concerns grew upon seeing the disturbing robberies caught on tape, occurring near the places he walks. At about 4 a.m. on August 17, at the intersection of 5th Street and Hennepin Avenue, a man stands by himself while looking down at his phone. Slowly but surely, people approach him to talk. Eventually he is surrounded, beaten and left unconscious — all so the thieves could take his phone and wallet.

Report: Foreign National Accused of Running Over Teen and Leaving Him to Die Was Given Visa by Biden Admin

Abortion, ICE and socialism spark fireworks in swing state governor debate: 5 top moments

Kansas Senate rivals distance themselves from party leaders in fiery debate

Omar Wouldn’t Say For Sure Her Ex-Husband Wasn’t Her Brother: ‘Not to My Knowledge’

Mass firings vow sparks clash with Klobuchar over Walz fraud legacy

Trump dominates El-Sayed’s attacks against Rogers, but GOP rival offers unexpected policy split

Trump warns Democrats ‘want to burn it all down’ in South Carolina pitch

Abdul el Sayed, Mike Rogers clash over MAGA, Muslim Brotherhood in final Michigan Senate debate

ICE crackdown divides swing state candidates as GOP nominee vows to mandate sheriff cooperation

Florida attorney accused of threatening to shoot ICE agents while trying to buy gun

Did Vivek Ramaswamy Go Too Far? Some Republicans Object as He Doubles Down on Controversial Attack Ad

Is ‘Ilhan Omar’ a Fake Name? New Court Filing Identifying Omar’s Alias Has Americans Questioning Her Real Name

El-Sayed erupts at GOP rival over Muslim Brotherhood accusations in fiery Senate debate

California Driver Crashed While Watching X-Rated Content – Police Say She Killed a Retired Sunday School Teacher

A few weeks earlier outside Target Field, another group targets a man who is alone in broad daylight. They attack him, and even ride a bike over his body — all to steal his belongings.

Police said during a three-week stretch in August, 48 robberies were reported in downtown with 23 happening in one week.

From January 1 to August 26 in 2018, police said there were 156 robberies downtown. During that same span in 2019 there were 240 — an increase of 53.8%

Most of the robberies are taking place along between 3rd and 6th Street, as well as Hennepin and 2nd Avenue. The key time is from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Police said the criminals in the recent cases “finesse” the victim. They search for easy targets, typically someone who is intoxicated, alone, and looking at their phone.

“Many of these juveniles that are affected by this are part of just coming out of incarceration and they don’t have any hope at home, there’s nothing there, and so they come downtown where there’s a little bit of everything and they’re waiting on somebody to prey on,” said V.J. Smith, founder of MAD DADS Minneapolis.