EPPD awaiting county attorney’s charges against Settler’s Ridge burglary suspect

The Eden Prairie Police Department (EPPD) has filed charging documents against one person they believe is responsible for the string of burglaries, attempted burglaries, and car break-ins in the Settler’s Ridge neighborhood in the early morning hours of May 31, according to a police spokeswoman.

“We are waiting for the (Hennepin County) attorney’s office to make a decision on the charges,” she told EPLN via email Thursday, June 16.

Eden Prairie officers responded to eight residential burglaries, attempted burglaries, auto tampering and suspicious incidents in the area of Frontier Place, Acorn Ridge, Overland Trail and Cedarcrest Drive the morning of May 31.

“In some instances, the homes were occupied by residents at the time of the burglaries,” an EPPD statement said at the time. Suspects entered homes and vehicles through unlocked doors, the statement said.

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Police said there were no injuries involved in the incidents and that no residents had contact with the suspects who entered their homes.

A victim told EPLN that homeowner-owned Ring cameras had captured the suspect moving through backyards checking doors.

No new information on fall 2021 business burglaries

Police told EPLN that there is no new information about another string of burglaries that occurred last fall involving break-ins at six Eden Prairie minority-owned businesses, according to the same spokeswoman.

“A suspect has been identified, but the investigation is still ongoing,” she said via email.

In an EPLN story published Dec. 8, 2021, EPPD Lt. Jess Irmiter reported that police had identified a “potential person of interest” in the break-ins.

Eight break-ins were reported at six businesses beginning on Sept. 26, 2021. Three break-ins occurred at a single business. Here are the businesses, locations and dates of the break-ins:

• 9/26, 11/9 and 11/16 – Deg Deg Halal Market, 8755 Columbine Road.
• 10/10 – Eden Prairie Halal Market & Deli, 13997 Anderson Lakes Parkway.
• 10/14 – Greek Grill and Fry Co., 8795 Columbine Road.
• 11/7 – Naf Naf Grill, 13250 Technology Drive, #104.
• 11/17 – India Market, 574 Prairie Center Drive, #125.
• 11/20 – Poornanand Foods, 8773 Columbine Road.

Three of the targeted businesses – Poornanand Foods, Greek Grill and Fry Co., and Deg Deg Halal and Deli – are located in the same shopping center on the northwest corner of Anderson Lakes Parkway and Flying Cloud Drive.

Naf Naf Grill is located in the SouthWest Station shopping area, and India Market is located in the Tower Square shopping area adjacent to Eden Prairie Center.

Police identified the person of interest working with other Twin Cities’ law enforcement agencies, Irmiter said.

Irmiter declined to provide any additional information about the person of interest, including whether police suspected the individual might be responsible for all of the Eden Prairie incidents and those in other communities.

At the time, Irmiter said that the department has increased directed patrols, worked with business owners, and temporarily stationed a camera trailer in the shopping center on Columbine Road.