Minneapolis police seek help in finding shotgun-wielding robber

Richard Berg

The Dinkytown Jimmy John's was among the suspect's targets.

​The Minneapolis Police Department is asking for the public's help on finding a repeat-offender armed robber who seems to have a thing for shotguns, crime and food shops.

A lone man is the main suspect in at least four armed robberies over the last few weeks, with a similar description and MO tying the man and his shotgun to the crime spree.

The suspect, a black male thought to be in his early 20s, is said to have hit four different establishments this month: Flag Foods, Taco Bell, Stop N' Go, and Jimmy John's. Once inside, he brandished a shotgun and demanded money from the register. So far, he's made off with four sums of cash, though cops are hoping someone can help stop his lucrative scheme.

The man is thought to be somewhere between 20 and 25 years old, and between 5-foot-8 and 5'11" tall.

He is a black man of dark complexion, and wore a blue hoody sweatshirt and/or a "Carhartt"-style jacket -- the same kind commonly used by construction workers trying to beat the cold. The man also wore gloves during a couple of his robberies.

The robbery of a Flag Foods on East 42nd Street, which took place October 4, was the first of his four crimes. After that, he hit a Taco Bell on East Lake Street (October 10), the Stop 'N Go on Johnson Street Northeast (October 22), and the Dinkytown location of Jimmy John's, which he stuck-up Sunday night.

Anyone who has useful information on these crimes can call Minneapolis Police Sergeant Jeffery Harvey at 612-673-3648 and send along their tips.