Police in Minnetonka, Roseville now suspect 7 females groped or assaulted in some way by same man

Police in two Twin Cities suburbs disclosed Wednesday there were at least seven females — one 12 years old — groped or assaulted in some other manner on the same day last month by an at-large suspect who threatened to shoot at least one of his victims.

The first two assaults occurred outdoors on the morning of Aug. 20 in Minnetonka, followed by five more that afternoon in two stores in Roseville, according to police in those two cities, who have yet to make an arrest.

"We are continuing to follow up on leads and encourage anyone with information to contact our Police Department," Roseville Deputy Police Chief Joe Adams said.

New details about the incidents in both cities were released in a brief interview with Adams and by police in Minnetonka in a search warrant affidavit that seeks permission from a Hennepin County judge to collect global-positioning data from specific cellphone towers in the two cities.

The strongest evidence supporting that the same man is responsible for the acts comes from an affidavit recounting the reaction of one of the Minnetonka victims. Police showed her a surveillance photo of the suspect in one of the Roseville stores.

The woman nearly became ill and "can 100% say that he is the guy who assaulted me," the filing read.

According to the affidavit and other information released by police:

The first encounter occurred in the 15100 block of Wayzata Boulevard near Carlson Parkway, where a woman in her mid-40s reported being approached in the driveway of her house shortly before 6 a.m. by a man dressed in all black and wearing "designer-style prescription glasses."

She said the man, who smelled of alcohol, grabbed her around the neck, put a handgun to her head and threatened to kill her if she didn't go behind her house. The woman lied and warned him that her husband was inside.

"She assumed that the male was going to sexually assault her if she complied," the filing read, "and she was not going to let that happen."

The man walked away, and the woman went inside and called 911.

About 2 ¹⁄₂ hours later, a similar confrontation took place roughly 3½ miles to the south on the Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail near the 12000 block of Minnetonka Boulevard, where a man in all black walked up from behind, grabbed an 87-year-old woman by the shoulder and fondled himself.

The woman screamed while pushing him back, and while he was exposing himself, he said, "If you keep screaming, I'll really attack you."

The man left the trail, and someone the woman knew showed up and called 911.

"In both cases, multiple police agencies conducted an extensive search of the area on foot and from the air," a Minnetonka police statement read.

In Roseville early that afternoon, police were alerted to a man sexually harassing women and a 12-year-old for the nine minutes he was in the Old Navy clothing store in the 2400 block of N. Fairview Avenue before leaving.

Later in the afternoon and in the same shopping complex, "multiple women" were groped in the Sierra outdoor recreation retailer. Store video "shows the suspect walking around touching women's bottoms," the affidavit read. He left the store after a confrontation with a man.

Descriptions of the suspect from the women and revealed in the video combine to describe him as a middle-aged Black man, dressed in all black — except for a blue gaiter mask and red flip-flops — and wearing a New York Yankees baseball cap and prescription glasses. The 87-year-old victim recalled her attacker had a bandana or a surgicalmask on his face.

Roseville police said they are receiving tips about their cases at 651-792-7268 and by email at brady.martin@cityofroseville.com. Minnetonka police can be reached at 952-939-8500.