Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis man accused of making threats against Temple Israel: Charges
Man arrested for threatening Temple Israel in Mpls
The Minneapolis Police Department is on high alert after a man was arrested for threatening a local synagogue ahead of the Oct. 7 anniversary of the attack on Israel. FOX 9’s Leon Purvis has the latest.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis man is accused of making terroristic threats against a local synagogue, Temple Israel.
Jaden Thomas Leblanc, 21, has been charged with three counts of terrorisitic threats and one count of fifth-degree assault.
READ MORE: MPD arrests man for alleged Temple Israel threats, extra patrols announced
Timeline of threats
According to the charges, on Sept. 9, around 2:30 p.m. Leblanc was reportedly seen walking through the Temple Israel parking lot, and was seen drinking a beer and eventually threw the bottle against the wall of Temple Israel’s playground.
A security guard at the synagogue tried to get Leblanc’s attention as he was walking away, when he turned around and “flipped off” the guard and continued to walk away.
Around 15 minutes later, Leblanc returned to Temple Israel, and when he was told to leave the property he made a “gun gesture” with both of his hands, towards the security team, court documents say.
At the same time, one of the security guards tried to ask Leblanc why he broke the beer bottle on the Temple’s playground wall, but Leblanc allegedly “flipped off” the security guard again, made gun gestures with his hands again, and verbally threatened to shoot and kill the security guard.
The charges say that Leblanc was then told he was trespassed from the Temple’s property.
In the afternoon of Sept. 10, Leblanc returned to the Temple, and was seen drinking beer near the northside of the Temple’s parking lot. He then threw the bottle into the parking lot.
A security guard picked up the bottle and brought it to Leblanc, telling him to throw away his bottles in the trash and not on the Temple’s property, court documents say.
Leblanc picked up the bottle and reportedly threw it at the security guard’s head, but missed. Leblanc then advanced at the security guard, and the guard used his pepper spray to prevent the attack, court documents said.
Threatening calls
Temple Israel then received three threatening phone calls, with one referencing the pepper spray attack. The caller stated that his brother had been pepper sprayed by a security guard, and then made various threats to the security guard on the phone, court documents said.
The third call prompted the Temple to go on lockdown, and all the children were brought in from the playground. The caller stated that he was gathering a group to “come for them” and threatened retaliation for the pepper spray incident, the charges allege.
Leblanc’s arrest
On Oct. 3, Temple security told Minneapolis police Leblanc was standing across the street from the Temple possibly holding a handgun, court documents state.
Leblanc was reportedly seen switching the gun between his hands and put it in his shirt pocket. When the police arrived, Leblanc fled the area.
On Oct. 4, police set up surveillance near Temple Israel to locate Leblanc, charges say. He was seen getting into a car, and police initiated a stop, and Leblanc was taken into custody.
Leblanc allegedly admitted to making several calls to the Temple using a “spoofing application” on his phone, court documents said. He also recounted throwing a rock, a bottle and getting maced. Leblanc told investigators that he has “no issue” with the Jewish community or faith, just with the security guards.
He is currently in custody, and has his first court appearance on Oct. 8.
What they’re saying
“Mr. Leblanc’s behavior caused fear and concern amongst the Temple Israel community,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. “While the evidence available at this time does not suggest that this crime was motivated by bias against the Jewish community, every member of our community deserves to feel safe. We will seek accountability for Mr. Leblanc that ensures community safety.”
Increased patrols
MPD said after meeting with members of the Jewish community, it developed a plan to enhance patrols around synagogues and community centers during the Jewish holy days and the anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel.
WASHINGTON, DC (FOX 9) – The Republic of Somaliland is calling for Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to be extradited after Vice President JD Vance accused her of committing immigration fraud.
Vance accuses Ilhan Omar of immigration fraud
The backstory:
Vance appeared on conservative Benny Johnson’s podcast over the weekend, where he accused the Minnesota lawmaker of fraud.
“Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America. She has been at the center of a lot of the worst fraudsters at the center of the Somali community,” Vance told Johnson.
Omar has been at odds with the Trump Administration and the White House multiple times over accusations that she married her brother to obtain U.S. citizenship. FOX 9 looked into those allegations, and found no evidence that can corroborate that.
Omar calls allegations ‘a ridiculous lie’
The other side:
Omar responded to Vance’s allegations on Sunday, via FOX News.
“This is rich coming from someone who literally said they were willing to ‘create stories’ to redirect the media,” the statement said. “This is a ridiculous lie and desperate attempt to distract from the pedophile protection party’s unpopular war of choice, increasing gas prices, and rapidly dropping polling numbers.”
Omar sprayed at town hall
Local perspective:
In late January, Omar held a town hall where after calling for then DHS Sec. Kristi Noem to resign over Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities, an attendee stood up and sprayed Omar with a liquid.
The man, later identified as Anthony Kazmierczak, was charged with threats of violence and assault for the attack. The Hennepin County complaint alleges that Kazmierczak told Omar that “you should f–king die” during the attack.
Trump on Omar: ‘Throw her the hell out’
Why you should care:
President Trump made an appearance in Pennsylvania last December, where he highlighted Minnesota’s ongoing issues with fraud.
President Trump blasts Ilhan Omar, Gov. Walz at Pennsylvania rally
President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted Minnesota lawmaker llhan Omar and Gov. Tim Walz over the fraud taking place in the state as federal agents are in the Twin Cities area targeting the Somali population. Trump made the remarks while speaking about the economy at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mt. Pocono, Pennsylvania.
Trump said in the appearance she married her brother, and “she should get the hell out.”
“You know, that’s called the Great Big Minnesota scam with one of the dumbest governors ever in history. I love this Ilhan Omar, whatever the hell her name is, a little turban. I love her, she comes in, does nothing but bitch. She’s always complaining. She comes from a country where, I mean, it’s considered about the worst country in the world, right?” Trump said. “They have nothing. She comes to our country and she’s always complaining about the constitution allows me to do this. We ought to get her the hell out, she married her brother in order to get in. Can you imagine if Donald Trump married his sister, if I married my sister to get my citizenship? Do you think I would last about two hours, or would it be less? She married her brother to get in, therefore she’s here illegally. She should get the hell out, throw her the hell out.”
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A sunny and warm Sunday is in store for the Twin Cities, with even higher temperatures expected on Monday before a chance of rain and cooler air returns later in the week.
Sunday forecast
Local perspective:
Sunday is starting with some cloud cover before sunshine moves in with highs near 70 degrees around the metro and southern parts of the state.
Winds will be much lighter than Saturday, coming from the south at 5 to 10 mph with only occasional gusts up to 15 mph.
The Brainerd Lakes area will see temperatures in the 60s, while the North Shore will be cooler, which is typical for this time of year.
Sunday’s weather is expected to be dry and pleasant.
Overnight, temperatures will drop to the upper 30s and lower 40s, with some clouds moving in ahead of Monday.
Extended forecast
What’s next:
Monday could be the warmest day of the week, with highs in the lower 70s for the Twin Cities and some spots in southern Minnesota possibly reaching close to 80 degrees.
Winds will shift from southerly to southeasterly and then easterly as the day goes on, but should remain light.
After the warm start to the week, a cold front will move through on Tuesday, bringing a chance for a few rain showers in the early morning.
Temperatures will likely drop to the upper 40s by Wednesday and Thursday, with another front possibly bringing showers late Friday into early Saturday.
The rest of the extended forecast calls for temperatures close to or just below average, with highs in the upper 40s to lower 50s.
The Source: This story uses information from the FOX 9 weather forecast.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Firefighters are investigating the Minneapolis’s second fire fatality of the year after a man died in a house fire Saturday afternoon.
Fatal fire on 28th Avenue South
What we know:
According to the Minneapolis Fire Department (MFD), fire crews arrived shortly after 1:00 p.m. and found smoke coming from the second floor of a single-family home on 28th Avenue South. Bystanders alerted firefighters that someone might be trapped inside.
Crews had to work through heavy debris to reach the upstairs area. It took about 40 minutes to fully put out the fire.
During the primary search, firefighters found a man in his 60s dead on the second floor. No one else was found after searching all the floors.
Minneapolis Animal Care and Control took in a dog found outside the home.
Assistant Chief Wes Van Vickle said, “The department is grateful to the neighbors who alerted fire crews that someone may still have been inside, allowing them to act quickly.”
Fire safety reminders and community response
What they’re saying:
“This afternoon’s tragic loss of life weighs heavily on all of us, and we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,” said Van Vickle.
He also encourages the public to regularly check and maintain smoke detectors and fire extinguishers at home.
There were no other injuries reported. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner is working to confirm the man’s identity.
What we don’t know:
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and the man’s name has not been released.
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