Teen taken into custody, 2 children cited after vehicle break-ins in south Minneapolis, police say

A teenager and two children were detained early Tuesday morning in connection to vehicle break-ins in south Minneapolis, according to police.

Officers were dispatched to the area around 5:10 a.m. Tuesday following multiple reports of motor vehicle tampering on the 3700 block of Grand Avenue South. Police say responding units coordinated their approach from different directions in an effort to intercept the suspects before they could flee the scene.

A short time later, officers located and detained three children near 40th Street and Lyndale Avenue, not far from where the break-ins were reported.

According to police, the three had been going vehicle to vehicle, pulling on door handles of cars parked along Grand Avenue South. Investigators say at least one vehicle sustained a broken window, and another appeared to have been ransacked.

The oldest of the three, a 16-year-old girl, was booked into the Juvenile Detention Center after officers discovered she had an outstanding warrant. She was also cited for curfew violation and motor vehicle tampering. 

The other two children — a 12-year-old boy and an 11-year-old boy — were each issued citations for curfew violation and motor vehicle tampering. They were then taken home by officers, police said. 

Police have not indicated whether additional suspects were involved or whether the three are connected to other reported vehicle break-ins in the area. 

The incident adds to a string of vehicle break-ins reported across Minneapolis in recent weeks.