At least 19 charged with burglary, assault in Minneapolis riot

One woman allegedly knocked down an officer and assaulted him after she was cornered in a parking garage.

August 29, 2020 at 12:29AM
Crowds looted the Saks Off Fifth store in downtown Minneapolis on Wednesday, Aug. 26, after rumors swirled that police had shot a man, when in fact the man had killed himself.
Crowds looted the Saks Fifth Avenue Off Fifth store in downtown Minneapolis on Wednesday, Aug. 26, after a report of a man’s death on Nicollet Mall. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Authorities charged at least 19 people with counts ranging from burglary to assault in the riots that rocked downtown Minneapolis on Wednesday night into early Thursday morning after a suicide was wrongly construed as a police shooting.

The suspects ranged in age from 18 to 50 and came from Minneapolis, St. Paul, the surrounding suburbs and as far away as St. Cloud.

In one case, police responded to a break-in at a restaurant near S. 2nd Avenue and S. 10th Street and found Hanz M. Williams, 23, of Burnsville, allegedly crawling out of a broken glass door holding a container full of alcohol bottles, according to charges.

Police found Martell N. Tolbert, 41, of Bloomington, hiding inside the restaurant's freezer.

Williams and Tolbert were each charged with third-degree burglary.

According to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office and court documents:

• Mubashir A. Jeilani, 25, of Minneapolis, was charged with second-degree burglary for allegedly hiding inside a pharmacy cabinet at the CVS on Nicollet Avenue. Video showed that he allegedly used a power saw to attempt to break into a safe.

• Jason W. Graves, 23, of Brooklyn Park, was charged with third-degree burglary for allegedly breaking into a store.

• Gerald G. Wright, 40, of St. Paul; Avarial K. McIntosh, 18, of Minneapolis; and Armando R. Ovando, 21, of Lake Elmo were each charged with third-degree burglary for allegedly breaking into a shoe store.

• Terry L. Rean, 50, of Minneapolis, was charged with third-degree burglary, accused of stealing socks and slippers.

• Asante J. Simmons, 26, of Bloomington, was charged with third-degree assault and third-degree burglary for allegedly looting a Foot Locker and charging at and knocking over an officer who had pursued her into an underground parking garage.

The officer struck his head on the pavement and was "stunned," charges said. Simmons allegedly struck him on the head and assaulted him while he lay on the ground.

The officer broke his hand defending himself but was able to arrest Simmons. The officer was also treated for a "closed-head injury."

• Yoal Ruei, 18, of Coon Rapids, was charged with third-degree burglary.

• Andrew Kephart, 19, of Afton, was charged with third-degree burglary, accused of breaking into the Saloon Bar and taking a shot of Jack Daniels.

• Timothy Strong, 48, of St. Paul, was charged with third-degree burglary for allegedly stealing liquor bottles from the Saloon Bar.

• Jahmori Hunter, 18, of White Bear Lake, was charged with third-degree burglary for allegedly breaking into the Saloon Bar.

• David D. Smith, 22, of Minneapolis; Keeshowna Carney, 20, of St. Cloud; Phillip Scott, 21, of Brooklyn Park; and Shantel Scott, 20, of Brooklyn Park, were each charged with third-degree burglary for allegedly breaking into Pixie Liquor in Brooklyn Park.

• Maia Smith, 20, of Minneapolis, was charged with third-degree burglary in a business break-in. She was with a minor who was also allegedly trying to steal items.

• Daniel Lamoreaux-Enno, 29, of Minneapolis, was charged with third-degree burglary for allegedly using a baseball bat to cause $500 in damage to the interior of a business.

At least 100 people were also arrested before the curfew expired at 6 a.m. Friday, 80 of which were for curfew violations.

Chao Xiong • 612-270-4708

Twitter: @ChaoStrib

about the writer

about the writer

Chao Xiong

Reporter

Chao Xiong was the Hennepin County Courts reporter for the Star Tribune. He previously covered Ramsey County courts, St. Paul police, the state of Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis.

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