Six children aged 11-14 arrested for armed robberies, crashes on interstate highway: Minneapolis police

On Tuesday around 11:30 am, officers responded to the first of three reported robberies in the 5100 block of 41st Ave South. Shortly after responding to the scene, police were alerted to a second robbery on the 3400 block of Bloomington Ave, where a suspect shot at a victim from one of the vehicles involved. No bullets hit the victim, police said.

At approximately 1:30 pm, a third robbery occurred and a victim was held at gunpoint in the vicinity of 24th St and Pleasant Ave. The similarities of the incidents prompted Minneapolis police to activate their crime pattern response protocol, which resulted in several law enforcement agencies "flooding the area" to search for the vehicles involved in the robberies, authorities said.

Minneapolis Police were then alerted to multiple 911 reports of reckless driving, prompting multiple police pursuits that ended in crashes. Officers located one of the involved vehicles and initiated a traffic stop. The suspect fled and kept driving until he crashed on westbound I-94 near Cedar Avenue. Those inside the vehicle fled on foot but were captured by police.

Authorities reported that a second stolen vehicle was in the vicinity and had also crashed. Two individuals who were in the vehicle escaped on foot and were subsequently apprehended. According to the press release, the second vehicle was not pursued by the police. The collisions involved three additional vehicles. There were no injuries reported among the individuals in the other vehicles.

Police arrested three minor boys ages 11, 12, and 13, and three girls ages 13 and 14. The alleged suspects were transported to the hospital to be evaluated for non-life-threatening injuries sustained from the crashes. All of the suspects were booked into the Juvenile Detention Center, police said. Several of the minors had multiple priors and were known to law enforcement.

"Our Crime Pattern Response protocol continues to be an effective strategy to quickly locate and arrest those committing crimes of violence in Minneapolis," Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said in a press release. "The fact that I see this activity continuing with children so young - despite all our efforts - is incredibly frustrating and highlights the urgent need for action. I am grateful for the immediate response of law enforcement in finding and arresting these juveniles before the could cause more harm to members than our community or themselves."