2 teens arrested in shooting of delivery driver on North Side

The 15-year-old and 17-year-old are among a recent rise in juvenile arrests connected to violent crimes, police say.

By Terry Collins, Star Tribune

Last update: September 28, 2007 - 11:34 PM

Two boys, ages 15 and 17, have been arrested in connection with Thursday's shooting of a delivery truck driver in north Minneapolis.

The 15-year-old was arrested at his home late Thursday and the 17-year-old at a school Friday morning, police said.

The 17-year-old is no stranger to police; he has been arrested 10 times, including twice over carrying a gun, police said.

Despite a decline in Minneapolis' violent-crime rate, city officials have noticed an uptick in juvenile violence. As many as eight juveniles have been arrested recently, Police Chief Tim Dolan said Friday.

Each is "looking at anywhere between five to 30 years in prison" if convicted, Dolan said during a news conference at the Fourth Precinct headquarters. "We need to reach those kids [sooner]."

Capt. Mike Martin said investigators canvassed the area shortly after Thursday's shooting and got good tips that led to the arrests.

Mayor R.T. Rybak thanked the community for quick, timely information. He made a plea for more help from the public.

"We need to ask parents, guardians and the community to help us and to help keep guns out of the hands of kids," Rybak said. "Youth violence is an epidemic in this city, state and country. I am outraged as a parent and as the mayor. We need tougher enforcement, and we will continue to look at the issues why some youth turn to violence."

The DHL driver was set to leave after a delivery around 2 p.m. Thursday when he was shot inside his van near 29th and Oliver Avenues N.

He drove to a nearby hardware store at Lowry and Penn Avenues N., where employees called 911. He was taken to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, where his injuries were reported as serious but not life-threatening.

Dolan and Martin also talked about charges against an 18-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy in connection with four robberies involving cabdrivers in north Minneapolis.

The 18-year-old, Julius Jewel Jones of Minneapolis, has been charged with four counts of first-degree aggravated robbery. He is accused of entering the cabs with a gun and robbing drivers of cash and cell phones. He is in the Hennepin County jail.

Terry Collins • 612-673-1790

Terry Collins • tcollins@startribune.com