Hopkins Man Suspected in West Metro Burglaries

A Hopkins resident is among three men suspected in a recent rash of home burglary cases in the west metro.

A six-week investigation involving law enforcement agencies from Minneapolis, Wayzata and St. Louis Park led to the arrest of the men.

Patch is not disclosing the identity of the man because he has not been charged.

According to court documents, police arrested two men following a sting operation in which undercover officers purchased a Browning Citori shotgun that had been stolen during a burglary at a Wayzata home. Once taken into custody, the suspects reportedly admitted involvement in burglaries in Minnetonka, Wayzata, Plymouth and Maple Grove. They led police to the Hopkins suspect.

All three men are now in police custody but have yet to be charged with any crime. According to court documents, DNA evidence will likely play a role in the case.

In the meantime, Wayzata police, one of the lead agencies in this investigation, today issued a crime alert that warned, “western metro area continues to experience an abnormally high number of burglaries.”

But Minnetonka police could not confirm that any of the men arrested in this investigation are responsible for burglaries within Minnetonka, and also refuted any claim that the city has seen a recent surge in home burglaries.

“We are aware of the recent arrests and we will investigate further,” said Minnetonka Police Captain Scott Boerboom. “But to say we’ve had a spike—I don’t think it’s a spike.”

Wayzata police also suspect the Hopkins man participated in at least one Edina burglary. Although Edina police report at least seven burglaries within the community since April, Spokeswoman Molly Anderson said the men apprehended by Wayzata police "don't have anything to do with" the Edina burglaries.

Patch will have updates to this story as they are available.