Police: 6 carjackings within 5 hours in Minneapolis, 3 suspects in custody

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Six carjackings were reported within a five-hour span Friday night, Minneapolis police said.

Preliminary information from police indicate that the victims were robbed and held at gunpoint, and their vehicle was taken by multiple suspects. The incidents occurred between 5-10 p.m. Friday in south Minneapolis.

That doesn't include another violent carjacking and robbery that reportedly took place in a grocery store parking lot off Hennepin Avenue around 8 p.m. Friday. 

The first carjacking occurred at 5 p.m. on the 2800 block of 13th Avenue South, the Minneapolis Police Department said. Another one took place at that same location at 6:11 p.m.

At 5:36 p.m., the second carjacking took place at 4600 block of 28th Avenue South. About twenty minutes later, another was reported on the 2300 block of 32nd Street East.

The fifth carjacking happened at 9:49 p.m. on the 5800 block of 11th Avenue South. Shortly after at 10 p.m., another victim was robbed, held at gunpoint, and had their vehicle stolen on the 4000 block of Third Avenue South.

It's unclear if the carjackings were related. But, police said they took three suspects into custody after officers located and pursued a carjacked vehicle that was used in multiple aggravated robberies within hours of each other. The pursuit occurred at 10:33 p.m. Friday around 17th Avenue and Lake Street East. Minnesota State Patrol said they assisted with flight support during the pursuit.

All of the cases are under investigation.

This latest string of incidents comes a week after a city-wide alert was issued warning rideshare drivers of targeted carjackings and aggravated robberies. 

It's also part of a concerning trend. In May, police data showed a more than 200% increase in carjackings this year over last year, and an average of one carjacking every day.