A 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of ambushing and robbing three women in less than a week in Minneapolis, in one instance kicking his victim in front of several witnesses in a downtown parking ramp, authorities said Tuesday.

Levi W. Jorgensen, of Minneapolis, was charged in Hennepin County District Court with first-degree aggravated robbery in one of those crimes and simple robbery in the others. Jorgensen remains jailed in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Police credited Jorgensen's arrest on Friday to publicity about the robberies in the news media and the tips that they received.

The crimes all occurred in the late afternoon from Jan. 19 to 25, with two of them a few blocks from Jorgensen's home and the other in the parking ramp in downtown Minneapolis.

According to criminal complaints filed in each case:

On Jan. 19, Jorgensen approached a woman from behind as she left a coin-operated laundry in the 4600 block of Lyndale Avenue N., ripped her purse from her shoulder and ran.

On Jan. 22, Jorgensen came up to a woman heading with others to her vehicle in a downtown parking ramp near the Greyhound bus terminal and pulled on her purse, sending her to the ground. He kicked her until he had the purse and ran. Jorgensen soon dropped the purse once he realized the items inside fell out during the struggle.

On Jan. 25, Jorgensen sneaked up on a woman who was withdrawing cash from an automated teller machine in the entry to the Wells Fargo branch in the 4100 block of Lyndale Avenue N. He pushed her and fled with the cash.

Police determined that Jorgensen "was active at local pawnshops" soon after the robberies, one of the complaints said.

Jorgensen admitted to all three crimes, the complaints added.

Jorgensen's criminal history in Minnesota includes a conviction for misdemeanor theft and another for pawning stolen property, also a misdemeanor.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482