3 arrested in burglary at vacant Southdale Library, Edina police say
Police in Edina, Minnesota, say three people are in custody in connection to a burglary Friday night at the city's shuttered Hennepin County Southdale Library and adjoining courthouse.
According to redacted police report, two women — ages 41 and 38 — and a 35-year-old man were arrested at about 11 p.m. following the burglary at 7001 York Avenue South, which is surrounded by a construction fence.
An officer was patrolling the site "due to recent burglary activity" around 9:21 p.m. finding the fence cut "in the same location" as before, the report stated.
After repairing the fence, the officer soon "heard movement and power tools operating" in the library's mechanical room.
More squads and local agencies were called to the building, with the suspects taken into custody about 90 minutes later. All three are expected to be charged with third-degree burglary.
The library, which first opened in 1971, closed in January ahead of a rebuild "to improve accessibility, strengthen programming and partnerships, and showcase sustainable design at one of the busiest branches in Hennepin County," according to county officials.
The building is currently being "prepared for demolition," officials said.