Neighborhood crime summary, May 12– June 18
Editor’s note: Joseph Sodd, III, whose murder is noted in the following story, had many ties to the people and neighborhoods in The Bridge’s coverage area. Watch for a more extensive story about Joseph, and the tragic crime that took his life, online soon and in our July issue.
Around 2 a.m. the morning of Wednesday, June 18, a man was found stabbed and unconscious near the intersection of South Seventh Street and 19th Avenue South, near Augsburg College in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. He died shortly thereafter at Hennepin County Medical Center.
The victim has been identified as 20-year-old Joseph Sodd, III, an alumnus of Perpich Center for Arts Education. He was a dancer and a student at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. No arrests have been made at this time. The Minneapolis Police Department Homicide Unit is investigating the crime.
The day before Sodd’s murder, a crime alert was issued for several neighborhoods on the East Bank near the University of Minnesota. Como, Marcy Holmes, Prospect Park and the University of Minnesota neighborhoods are involved in the alert. Three robberies of person have occurred since June 1, all involving female victims and black male suspects.
A personal safety workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, July 15 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Eastside Neighborhood Services, 1700 Second Street NE, Minneapolis. Call Second Precinct Crime Prevention Specialist Carol Oosterhuis at 612-673-2874 to register.
The crime alert advises the following:
Avoid carrying a purse or bag with valuables (large amounts of cash, checkbook, credit cards, etc). If you carry cash, carry a small amount in your front pocket or wear a waist pack that can be covered by a shirt or jacket. Do not resist if a robber wants your handbag. Being pulled down by the shoulder strap of your bag or purse can cause injuries.
Victims of robberies can be any age and race and can be men or women. Take the following precautions:
Try to walk with another person. If you are walking in or near the University of Minnesota, you can contact 624-WALK for the University escort service.
Carry as little cash as possible. Carry your keys and money in a pocket, not in a purse or wallet.
Be observant and aware of your surroundings. Avoid being absorbed in telephone conversations or music.
Avoid alleys or poorly lit areas.
If you feel uneasy, go directly to a place where there are other people.
If you are walking at night, choose well-lighted streets.
If a robber approaches you, do not resist. Try to get a good description of the robber, as well as vehicle description and license plate number. Call 911 immediately.
Juvenile gun offender initiative; summer curfew
In late May, Minneapolis and Hennepin County officials announced a juvenile gun offender initiative aimed at reducing the number of guns in the hands of youth, be the guns real, BB or replica.
The summertime initiative includes strong and clear penalties which will be consistently applied for youth caught with guns, including probation, gun education and out-of-home placement. Youth with prior gun offenses who are on probation will receive increased supervision; those with active warrants will be targeted with aggressive, proactive street-level policing efforts to get them to turn themselves in. Strong, consistent enforcement of both new replica firearm ordinances and youth curfew laws are also in place this summer.
Curfew hours in Minneapolis for youth unaccompanied by a responsible adult are as follows:
Under 12 years of age: Sunday through Thursday, home by 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, home by 10 p.m.
12-14 years old: Sunday through Thursday, home by 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, home by 11 p.m.
15-17 years old: Sunday through Thursday, home by 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, home by midnight.
Crime statistics and brief neighborhood summaries, May 12–June 18
Violent crimes are defined as homicide, rape, robbery of business, robbery of person, aggravated assault and domestic aggravated assault.
Nonviolent crimes are defined as burglary of business, burglary of residence, auto theft, theft from motor vehicle, larceny (theft), arson, recovered vehicles, narcotics arrests, weapons arrests, and loitering arrests.
Cedar-Riverside
Summary: 18-year-old Abdullahi Abdi’s murder on April 11 remains unsolved, with no arrests reported in the case. Shortly after 2 a.m. on June 18, Joseph Sodd, III, was found stabbed near the intersection of 7th Street S and 19th Avenue S and died at Hennepin County Medical Center. Two dozen nonviolent crimes, including five car break-ins and four car thefts, were also reported during this five-week period.
Total violent crimes: 6
Robbery of person: 3
Aggravated assault: 2
Domestic aggravated assault: 1
Total nonviolent crimes: 26
Burglary of business: 2
Burglary of residence: 4
Auto theft: 4
Theft from motor vehicle: 5
Larceny (theft): 6
Arson: 1
Recovered vehicles: 3
Weapons arrest: 1
Cooper
Summary: Sector 4 bike thefts are on the rise. Several garage burglaries of bikes in the area prompted a dispatch from the Minneapolis Police Department the week of June 5. From May 19 to June 2, four such burglaries took place: Thieves entered a parked car, took the garage door opener, entered the garage and took bicycles.
Total violent crimes: 1
Domestic aggravated assault: 1
Total nonviolent crimes: 19
Burglary of residence:7
Auto theft: 4
Theft from motor vehicle: 4
Larceny (theft): 3
Narcotics arrests: 1
Downtown East
Summary: Violent crime took a hiatus during this five-week period; eight car break-ins occurred in the area.
Total violent crimes: Zero
Total nonviolent crimes: 17
Burglary of business: 4
Theft from motor vehicle: 8
Larceny (theft): 4
Recovered vehicles: 1
Longfellow
Summary: Four robberies of person, nine car break-ins and 14 reports of larceny occurred during this time period. Sector 4 bike thefts are on the rise.
Total violent crimes: 5
Robbery of person: 4
Domestic aggravated assault: 1
Total nonviolent crimes: 35
Burglary of business: 4
Burglary of residence: 2
Auto theft: 3
Theft from motor vehicle: 9
Larceny (theft): 14
Recovered vehicles: 1
Loitering arrests: 1
Narcotics arrests: 1
Marcy-Holmes
Summary: Three rapes occurred in the Marcy-Holmes area in the past five weeks. Thirteen residential and 10 car break-ins were reported.
Total violent crimes: 6
Rape: 3
Robbery of person: 1
Aggravated assault: 1
Domestic aggravated assault: 1
Total nonviolent crimes: 39
Burglary of business: 4
Burglary of residence: 13
Auto theft: 7
Theft from motor vehicle:10
Larceny (theft): 3
Recovered vehicles: 1
Narcotics arrests: 1
Nicollet Island/East Bank
Summary: An aggravated assault and six cases of larceny were reported during the five-week period.
Total violent crimes: 1
Aggravated assault: 1
Total nonviolent crimes: 14
Burglary of business: 1
Burglary of residence: 3
Theft from motor vehicle: 3
Larceny (theft): 6
Narcotics arrests: 1
Prospect Park
Summary: Eight stolen cars and as many car break-ins (5 during the week ending June 16) top the list of the 27 nonviolent crimes that took place in the Prospect Park area during this five-week period. One robbery of person and one aggravated assault took place.
Total violent crimes: 2
Robbery of person: 1
Aggravated assault: 1
Total nonviolent crimes:27
Burglary of business: 2
Burglary of residence: 4
Auto theft: 8
Theft from motor vehicle: 8
Larceny (theft): 5
Seward
Summary: Two rapes occurred in the Seward neighborhood during the five-week period. One weapons arrest, 10 car thefts and eight car break-ins occurred, heaving the nonviolent crime figure to 31. Sector 4 bike thefts are on the rise.
Total violent crimes: 6
Rape: 2
Robbery of business: 1
Robbery of person: 1
Aggravated assault: 2
Total nonviolent crimes: 31
Burglary of residence: 5
Auto theft: 10
Theft from motor vehicle: 8
Larceny (theft): 6
Weapons arrests: 1
Recovered vehicles: 1
Southeast Como
Summary: Nine house break-ins and six car thefts make up over half of the 24 nonviolent crimes that occurred in Southeast Como during this five-week period.
Total violent crimes: 1
Domestic aggravated assault: 1
Total nonviolent crimes: 24
Burglary of business: 3
Burglary of residence: 9
Auto theft: 6
Theft from motor vehicle: 4
Recovered vehicles: 2
University/UMPD
Summary: Former Gopher football player Dominic Jones was sentenced to a year in the workhouse for the 4th-degree sexual assault of a woman that took place in April 2007. Jones is appealing his sentence. Charges were filed against Christopher Edward Karls in connection with the May 4 kidnap and sexual assault of a 20-year-old woman near the University campus.
(NOTE: University of Minnesota Police Department information for the week May 19 is included here.)
Total violent crimes: 5
Rape: 1
Robbery of business: 1
Robbery of person: 1
Aggravated assault: 1
Domestic aggravated assault: 1
Total nonviolent crimes: 33
Burglary of business: 4
Burglary of residence: 4
Auto theft: 7
Theft from motor vehicle: 5
Larceny (theft): 9
Recovered vehicles: 2
Narcotics arrests: 2
last revised: June 19, 2008