Minneapolis robbery spree: 4 teens face charges

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Hennepin County Attorney's Office announced charges against four teens in robbery cases as Minneapolis police continue to investigate the armed robbery spree over the weekend.

In the spree, police said young people in vehicles would target people walking by themselves on city streets across Minneapolis. This past week, Minneapolis police have arrested several teens connected to robbery cases.

On Thursday, the Office of Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty released charges against four of the teens. 

One teen, 16, is charged with fleeing a police officer and theft. He is accused of being behind the wheel of a stolen Kia Sportage that was involved in a robbery on Monday afternoon. Police chased the Kia, which ultimately crashed into a bus shelter at Penn Avenue North and 13th Avenue North.

Another teen charged is accused of being in the stolen Kia, running from officers after the crash and dropping a handgun.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara spoke with the media after that crash, describing some of the "terrifying" moments from the robbery spree.

The other two suspects, both 17, are accused of being involved in a Valentine's Day gunpoint robbery set up through Facebook Marketplace. The teens are accused of taking $6,000 from the victim and a Grey Goose bottle, before driving away in a gold Cadillac.

While police said the circumstances of the Feb. 12 robbery were similar to the weekend spree, it's unclear if the teens charged are connected to the larger series of crimes. Prosecutors say the matter remains under investigation.