MINNETONKA, Minn. — With his name recognition, the burglary of Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley’s west metro home made headlines.

But now court documents reveal he is just one of 60 victims across 12 metro cities in what police believe is a sophisticated ring targeting high-end homes for jewelry, with the burglars using “cell phone and Wi-Fi jammers, GPS trackers, surveillance cameras and rental vehicles,” according to a search warrant affidavit.

These groups are not believed to be local, as the only suspects arrested and charged so far have been South Americans accused of crisscrossing the country, conducting surveillance, getting in and out of these homes in mere minutes — then quickly leaving the state.

“That is really scary,” said Nadera, a resident of a Long Lake/Medina neighborhood that’s been hit three times recently.

“What’s happening is it seems like they know where to go,” Nadera said. “That kind of scares me. They’re going to the bedroom and getting what they need, jewelry mostly, and I mean, how do they know?”

“Their methods of entry are all pretty similar,” said Minnetonka Police Assistant Chief Jason Tait.

Minnetonka had three new incidents last month. In one, the suspects appear in the corner of the victim’s doorbell camera. 

Tait said they had several last year they linked to a group of Argentina citizens arrested in Pennsylvania.

“Through that investigation, they were able to determine that they arrived in Los Angeles and rented a car there and traveled through the Midwest and across the country doing these burglaries. And they were able to tie it back to different parts of that,” Tait said.

Police are working to trace rental cars, and it shows how swiftly the burglars leave the state.

According to one search warrant, the burglar who broke into Conley’s home had rented a car in Florida on Sept. 11. That car was seen in Hudson on Sept. 13, in Long Lake on Sept. 14 and Sept. 15, then it was spotted back in Georgia just 17 hours after the burglary of Conley’s home.

Court documents show that one Orono homeowner got suspicious of a man driving a car with Texas license plates flying a drone near their home. Police learned that too was a rental car that happened to be parked near the home of Twins owner Jim Pohlad when his Minneapolis home was burglarized last year.

MINNEAPOLIS — After Ohio Senator J.D. Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz faced off in what was likely the only vice presidential debate of this election cycle, multiple groups have now announced how they’re urging their communities to vote. 

Native Americans for Harris Walz had a national launch Wednesday, with community members meeting at the Frogtown Community Center to voice their support for the ticket.

“The Native vote is absolutely the margin of victory for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,” Mattea Twinn, coalitions manager for the Wisconsin Democrats, said.

The group said Harris and Walz are better suited to take care of their needs, including respecting Tribal Nations and protecting sovereignty. Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Nation, also spoke.

“Let’s be crystal clear,” Flanagan said. “Native people will absolutely help decide the results of this election. We are located in swing states all across this country.”

Native Americans for Harris Walz was not the only group urging their communities to make a decision this election. The Justice and Equity Coalition also held a press conference Wednesday, voting against the Harris Walz ticket based on policy, and what they say is a lack of action.

“Our message is clear,” one speaker said. “We will not support any leader who enables this brutality.”

The group is urging voters to abandon Harris, citing inaction in the administration as a reason for growing conflict in the Middle East.

“We are asking for people, as we head to this election, to vote for the independent party,” Jaylani Hussein, board member with JEC, said. “We clearly understand that that may mean the return of President Trump, which we are not endorsing.”

A CNN poll conducted immediately after Tuesday’s debate showed 51% of those polled thought Vance did the better job.

MINNEAPOLIS — A man charged in the shooting death of an off-duty firefighter pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally possessing a firearm.

Marquise Hammonds-Ford entered the guilty plea Tuesday, and will be sentenced Wednesday, Oct. 9. As part of the plea, the other charges, including first-degree rioting, were dropped.

Hammonds-Ford was charged back in May for his role in the shooting death of Joseph C. Johns, who served as a career firefighter with the Eagan Fire Department since Jan. 2020. He also served as a duty-crew firefighter with the Eden Prairie Fire Department since Sept. 2015.

According to the criminal complaint, Johns was in a bar on the 900 block of Cedar Avenue South on May 5 when he was caught in the crossfire of a shootout.

Court documents said hundreds were gathered at the bar into Saturday night and Sunday morning to celebrate the founding of a local motorcycle club, of which Johns was a member when shots rang out just after midnight following an alleged altercation between two groups on opposite sides of the bar.

The complaint said investigators found 63 discharged cartridge casings in front of the bar and determined the spent casings came from at least seven separate firearms.