Author: Stuart Sudak

Newly released Hennepin County court records indicate that the 7-year-old boy found unresponsive in an Eden Prairie home on Tuesday likely died from strangulation or suffocation. These records, including a search warrant issued on Thursday and a criminal complaint filed on Friday, provide detailed information about the incident. Dalal Bayle Idd, 27, of Eden Prairie, was charged with second-degree murder (without premeditation) for the death of his younger brother, Abdullahi Adod Gelle, in the criminal complaint filed on Friday. The incident occurred at their parents’ house in the 9900 block of Lee Drive. On Tuesday, at about 10:10 p.m., Eden…

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office on Thursday identified 7-year-old Abdullahi Adod Gelle as the child found dead in an Eden Prairie residence. Gelle was discovered unresponsive by Eden Prairie police officers at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 12, during a welfare check at a home in the 9900 block of Lee Drive. He was subsequently transported to M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, where he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on Wednesday. Dalal Bayle Idd, 27, Gelle’s brother, was arrested in connection with the incident on suspicion of second-degree murder. He is currently being held in…

Purgatory Creek Park is gearing up to “hop” into action this Saturday as the Eden Prairie Community Foundation presents its 9th annual Prairie Brewfest from 3 to 6 p.m. Greg Leeper, the Foundation’s executive director, said that 17 vendors will be showcasing their products at the craft brew festival. He described the festival as the centerpiece of “what we’re doing” and added that the event will be bigger this year. Attendees can expect a variety of beers, along with select wines and spirits. The lineup boasts a diverse selection of breweries, including Bent Paddle, Castle Danger, Excelsior Brewing, Utepils, and…

A 16-year-old boy from Minneapolis was charged last week with two felonies: fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle and theft by taking or driving a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent. The charges stem from an incident on Aug. 12 in Eden Prairie and other locations, during which the teen allegedly led officers on a high-speed chase along Highway 212. Eden Prairie Local News does not publish the names of minors charged with crimes. Based on a criminal complaint from Hennepin County’s 4th District Court, Eden Prairie police, informed by the Carver County Sheriff’s Office, were actively searching…

Eden Prairie police have decided not to recommend filing criminal charges in connection with a dog attack last month on the exit ramp from westbound Interstate 494 to Flying Cloud Drive. Sgt. Scott Mittelstadt, who conducted the investigation, confirmed last week that the department wouldn’t be pursuing charges. “We don’t really have substantial evidence either way to charge anybody with this,” Mittelstadt said on Aug. 30. “Now, can the victim (pursue civil action) against the dog owners? Yes, absolutely. But, legally and criminally speaking, we don’t have substantial evidence to charge anybody on this.” Investigators examined whether a man from…

Hennepin County has scheduled a special election for Tuesday, April 9, 2024, to address the upcoming vacancy in Commissioner District 6. If a special primary is deemed necessary, it is slated for March 26, 2024. The impending vacancy comes in the wake of Commissioner Chris LaTondresse’s announcement earlier this month of his decision to resign, effective Sept. 21. Elected in January 2021, LaTondresse is leaving the County Board to become chief executive officer at the Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative. Hennepin County will hold the special election to complete LaTondresse’s term, which is set to conclude in December 2024. A county…

Four people from California were charged in Dakota County District Court for thefts totaling about $13,600 from Best Buy stores in Apple Valley, Eagan, and Eden Prairie. Those charged include Yessenia Polanco, 42, Jacquiline Pavon, 38, Layorny Feliz Flores, 39, all from Torrance, and Davis Antonio Rugama, 33, of Inglewood. Each of them faces a felony count of theft and could receive a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted. Following a series of thefts at metro-area Best Buy stores, the Eagan Police Department began investigating an organized group of retail thieves. On three occasions, the suspects were…

Hennepin County Commissioner Chris LaTondresse announced Thursday that he will resign from the board on Sept. 21, 2023, to become the chief executive officer of the Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative. LaTondresse, a resident of Hopkins, was elected in November 2020 and took office in January 2021. He represents District 6, which includes northern Eden Prairie. Hennepin County will hold a special election for District 6 to complete LaTondresse’s term, which ends in December 2024. The Hennepin County auditor will determine the special election date as per state statute. The county elections office will provide more details In his resignation statement,…

The fire that tore through Anne Armstrong’s Eden Prairie townhouse in the 6200 block of Saint John’s Drive near Baker Road last month was swift and devastating. Armstrong and her 6-year-old daughter, Gabriela Evans, escaped with their lives but not much more. Armstrong was sitting on her couch at about 10 p.m. on July 21 while Gabriela slept upstairs. The fire caught her eye outside her kitchen window, and she discovered the wooden wall separating her patio from her neighbor’s engulfed in flames. “I go in to grab her, and inside the curtains are already melting off the window, and…

When a fire broke out in a building containing four townhouses, located in the 6200 block of Saint John’s Drive on July 21, Eden Prairie resident Mary Almeida didn’t hesitate to respond. Despite facing ongoing health challenges, including scoliosis and fibromyalgia, she said she immediately alerted her family and neighbors of the danger. “Everything happened so fast,” recounted Almeida, who lives in one of the townhouses. “I did not have time to think about anything else but getting people out of their units.” After noticing an orange reflection off the units above her hill in the front yard, Almeida said…