Minneapolis police believe string of business burglaries across the metro are connected

Minneapolis police believe there is a connection in a string of business burglaries across the metro.

Video from inside Lush Lounge and Theatre in northeast Minneapolis two weeks ago shows three masked people smashing a window to get inside. The trio then heads straight upstairs to find the safe, kicking it downstairs and damaging the floor below. They made it out in less than four minutes.

"I'm also hearing from other business owners that this is happening in, not just our neighborhood, it's also expanding the metro area," Andy Rausch, co-owner of Lush, said.

Rausch says other business owners say the people who invaded their space operate in the same manner.

"That it's organized, that they are very quick, that they have thought it out and most likely staked out these places in advance," said Rausch.

Minneapolis police say there is a pattern of commercial burglaries that began in the early morning hours of April 22.

As of Monday, investigators are considering possible links between 15 similar heists.

"A lot of it is happening to small businesses, particularly mom-and-pop restaurants or family-owned restaurants, and the amount of money that it takes to kind of recover from that is a big hit to some of these smaller businesses," said Rausch.

Police think popular spots like Elsie's and The Northeast Yacht Club have been hit by the trio of burglars. Dogwood Coffee on Lake Street and Cuppa Java on Penn Avenue have also been burglarized.

"It happened again today. They are getting braver and braver and braver," Rausch said.

Rausch says he told police on Wednesday that burglars struck again, across the street from Lush, at a sandblasting business.

The Minneapolis Police Department says at least one possible suspect has been identified and investigators are actively following additional leads.

The department is asking businesses to immediately call 911 if the burglar alarm is triggered.