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Fifteen robberies reported over the weekend in Minneapolis

Minneapolis police are investigating 15 robberies that occurred this weekend across the city.

November 9, 2015 at 9:57PM

(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Police were at the scene of an armed carjacking in late May. David Jones/Star Tribune

Fifteen robberies or attempts were reported over the weekend across Minneapolis, with most of them occurring on the city's South Side where a recent spike in such crimes has concerned police and residents.

The latest of the armed stickups occurred shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of 26^th Street W. and Bryant Avenue S. A 37-year-old Minneapolis woman told officers she was robbed at gunpoint by three suspects, but, as with several of the other cases, could provide only a fuzzy description of the assailants, police said.

On Saturday and Sunday, at least eight other robberies occurred in south Minneapolis, while four people were held up or were the victims of attempted robberies in the downtown area over that period.

One of those incidents happened Saturday night on the campus of Minneapolis Community and Technical College, where an apparently intoxicated man was confronted by five men, one of whom was holding a gun, police said. A struggle ensued, and the suspects fled without taking anything, the man told police.

As of Nov. 2, there were 1,600 robberies reported citywide, down about two percent from this time last year. And while police are solving more of these crimes, authorities have had their hands full lately with a string of stickups targeting Latinos on the South Side, including several this weekend.

A department spokesman didn't immediately respond on Monday to question about whether police have discerned a pattern to the crimes.

According to police, another incident occurred Sunday afternoon, when a 17-year-old boy was jumped near Roosevelt High School by a group of youths wearing masks, who took his backpack before fleeing. The victim was taken to an area hospital and treated for facial injuries.

In another incident, a husband and wife from LaCrosse, Wisc. were mugged as they were getting out of their car outside an apartment building in the 3000 block of 11th Avenue S., police said. The victims, who were treated by paramedics at the scene, provided "very little suspect information," although police found some evidence at the scene that they hope will point back to the attackers.

The robberies:

-On Nov. 7, at 1:39 a.m., a 38-year-old man was robbed at knifepoint at the intersection of 33rd St. E. and Nicollet Avenue S.
-On Nov. 7, at 9:30 a.m., a 26-year-old woman had her purse taken by her ex-boyfriend at in the 3100 block of Humboldt Avenue N.
-On Nov. 7, at 9:54 a.m., a 26-year-old woman was held up at gunpoint while walking on 7th Street, near the intersection with 19th Avenue S.
-On Nov. 7, at 12:04 p.m., a 46-year-old woman was robbed by two men on bikes at the corner of 32nd Street E. and Bloomington Avenue S.
-On Nov. 7, at 8:35 p.m., a 54-year-old man called police after an attempted robbery by a group of men, one of whom had a gun, on the campus of MCTC.
-On Nov. 7, at 9:55 p.m., a robbery was reported in the 1500 block of Oliver Avenue N. in which two young suspects were arrested for sticking up three teenagers.
-On Nov. 8, at 2:25 a.m., a 26-year-old man was robbed and injured in a downtown alley, and later taken to an area hospital for treatment.
-On Nov. 8, at 2:30 a.m., a 30-year-old man reported someone had robbed him of his credit cards near the intersection of 2nd Avenue N. and 5th Street N.
-On Nov. 8, at 11:32 a.m., a 19-year-old man was hospitalized after being stabbed by five unknown suspects at Cedar Food and Grill in south Minneapolis.
-On Nov. 8, at 4 p.m., a 41-year-old man was robbed of his car in a carjacking in the 2400 block of 10th Avenue S.
-On Nov. 8, at 4:30 p.m., a 27-year-old man was robbed by several male suspects, who took $40 cash and his cell phone, in the 2500 block of Cedar Avenue S. The victim was hospitalized for his injuries.
-On Nov. 8, at 2:30 p.m., a robbery occurred at the corner of 29th Avenue S. and 40th Street E., near Roosevelt High School, in which a 17-year-old boy was assaulted by a group of youths wearing masks and had his backpack stolen.
-On Nov. 8, at 5:30 p.m., a 17-year-old boy was a victim in a strong-arm robbery at the intersection of 1st Avenue S. and Lake Street W.
-On Nov. 8, at 9:53 p.m., a couple from LaCrosse, Wisc. was robbed while getting out of their car outside an apartment building in the 3000 block of 11th Avenue S.
-On Nov. 8, at 10:19 p.m., a 37-year-old woman was robbed at gunpoint by three suspects near the corner of 26th Street W. and Bryant Avenue S.