Fugitive St. Paul juvenile offender suspected of raping his earlier burglary victim

06/20/2013 05:44:37 http://www.twincities.com/crime/ci_23504884/fugitive-st-paul-juvenile-offender-suspected-raping-his

An 18-year-old man twice convicted of burglarizing the St. Paul home of a woman he didn't know in 2011 is under arrest, suspected of returning to her home this week and raping the 65-year-old resident. Curtez Deshawn Graham was on furlough from the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Red Wing, a juvenile detention facility, when he cut off his GPS bracelet and went on the run Monday, said Art Coulson, Ramsey County spokesman. As law enforcement searched for Graham, they heard he might be armed with a gun, and the burglary victim was notified the man was on the loose, Coulson said.

Two in custody following Crookston home invasion, robbery

May 08, 2013 http://www.wdaz.com/event/article/id/17777/

Two suspects are in jail in crookston this evening following a home invasion and robbery. They're University of Minnesota-Crookston students and athletes, and their athletic careers at the school are over now. Police say one of the suspects allegedly pointed a black semiautomatic handgun at a femal victim while the other suspect filled trash bags with cash, electronic game devices and expensive footwear, clothing and jewlery. 21-year-old Anthony Glen Barge and 20-year-old Joseph Moorer face felony charges. Barge was a quarterback for the Golden Eagles football team and Moorer was on the school's basketball team.

Detroit Lakes police make arrests after motel robbery, home invasion

November 28, 2012, 11:27 AM http://www.dl-online.com/event/article/id/71504/group/homepage/

DETROIT LAKES, Minn. – Police here arrested three people after a woman was assaulted and robbed in her motel room Tuesday, and a teenage boy was arrested in connection with a separate home invasion a short time later. The first incident was reported at 1:14 p.m. at the Pine to Palm Motel. The callers reported that two people had forced open a motel room door.

and

The second incident was reported at 2:31 p.m. in the 800 block of Shorewood Drive, where a 16-year-old boy allegedly entered a home and took a duffel bag that he had filled with items from the garage. The female homeowner, who didn’t know the teen, confronted him and he left, the release stated.

Police: 1 In Custody, 1 At Large In Brooklyn Park Home Invasion

November 13, 2012 11:19 AM http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/11/13/police-1-in-custody-1-at-large-in-brooklyn-park-home-invasion/

Police were called to the 6000 block of 83rd Parkway at about 9:07 p.m. Monday on a weapons complaint. When authorities arrived, they were two suspects approached the front door of the home and as it was opened by one of the victims, the two suspects forced their way inside. Police said one of the suspects displayed a handgun as they searched through the residence. One of the victims was able to get out of the residence and call police.

Cops Seeking Info After Armed Men Rob Morris Home

November 29, 2012 7:57 PM http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/11/29/cops-seeking-info-after-armed-men-rob-morris-home/

A group of armed men reportedly entered a residence in central Minnesota early Thursday morning and robbed six people of cash and other valuables, authorities say.

Charges in Alleged Fridley Home Invasion with Knife on East River Road

October 11, 2012 http://fridley.patch.com/articles/read-charges-in-alleged-fridley-home-invasion-with-knife-on-east-river-road

The criminal complaint in the home invasion on East River Road early Wednesday alleges that the 18-year-old defendant told police he was there to get "a lot of pills." Nathanial Joseph Shellito, armed with a knife, said he expected two others who were with him to join him in the attack, according to the document; instead, they fled.

Beware of the unsolicited visitor in uniform...

Date: June 4, 2012
http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_20798438/charges-st-paul-man-disguised-city-worker-tried

Beware of the unsolicited visitor in uniform, especially the ones asking for access to your home.

Wearing a hard hat and a construction vest, a man wanted for attempted murder knocked on a door in Coon Rapids this week and told the woman who answered he was there to check her home's water system, authorities say.

Once inside, 34-year-old Robert Sirron Owens instead reportedly pointed a handgun covered with a sock at the woman while another man he arrived with went upstairs, according to complaints filed Wednesday, June 6 in Anoka County court.

At the time of this invasion, Owens had an outstanding warrant for a murder of an acquaintance two years earlier.  It's not clear how Owens and his two accomplices were apprehended.

Which brings us to...

...A Safety Tip

A lot of people think that attackers dressed up in official looking uniforms are just an urban myth.  They are rare but, obviously, not unheard of.

If you have no reason to expect someone, then use a healthy dose of skepticism when dealing with them.  Keep them outside.  Verify independently that they are there for the offered reason.  Don't use a business card or phone number that they they provide to verify.  Let them wait outside with your door locked, look up the company phone number yourself and call for confirmation.

Sure it make take a few minutes longer than if you just blindly trust them.  And you might feel embarrassed about asking the visitor to wait.  But most professionals will be understanding.