Man fatally shot in Minneapolis wanted for stealing 5 puppies worth $75K in Goodhue County
Law enforcement on the 900 block of Newton Avenue North for a fatal shooting in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The man fatally shot in Minneapolis’ Near North neighborhood Tuesday night was charged just weeks before his death for allegedly stealing five puppies worth $75,000 and holding them for ransom.
Mikiyel Patton, 37, was shot multiple times on the 900 block of Newton Avenue North, and despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Minneapolis SWAT members raided a nearby house the night of the shooting, looking for possible suspects, but it was empty. No arrests have been made, and Minneapolis police did not share a possible motive for the shooting.
Just weeks before the shooting, Patton was charged via warrant in Goodhue County with felony theft for allegedly stealing five Platinum French Bulldog puppies, worth $15,000 each, from an acquaintance's home in Cannon Falls.
According to court records, Patton was staying at a woman’s house for a few days when he allegedly took the puppies and left. The woman explained she heard Patton go into the puppy's room, thinking he was looking after them, but when she got up 90 minutes later, they were gone.
The woman reported the theft on Dec. 2 and told authorities she was looking after the puppies, who were only a week old and would likely not survive without their mother.
Patton was allegedly holding the puppies for ransom, claiming the woman who was watching them owed him $20,000, and he would not return the dogs unless he was paid, charges allege.
Prosecutors say the owner of the puppies shared Patton’s picture on social media in trying to find him, and Patton warned her brother that she should stop because he was a "dangerous person," charges allege.
Authorities did not say whether the puppies were recovered.
According to court records, Patton was also facing charges in connection to a shooting in Duluth in May. St. Louis County prosecutors charged him with second-degree assault with a deadly weapon, reckless discharge of a firearm, and being an ineligible person in possession of a firearm.
Blue Earth County prosecutors also charged him in June with one count each of DWI for being under the influence of drugs and driving with a revoked license. A warrant was issued in September after he failed to show up for a court hearing, but prosecutors have since dismissed the case given his death.
Patton’s death was ruled a homicide and remains under investigation. The Minneapolis Police Department told FOX 9 on Friday there is no known connection between Patton's death and the dog thefts.