Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis man charged with assault in hit-and-run at mosque
Arrest in Minneapolis mosque hit-and-run
Police announced the arrest of a 37-year-old suspect in a pedestrian hit-and-run outside of a Minneapolis mosque. The Council on American-Islamic Relations says the driver, who is suspected of using his van as a weapon, has a long history of harassing the mosque and the worshipers over the past three years.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The man accused of hitting a pedestrian in the parking lot of a Minneapolis mosque had a history of violent attacks at the center, according to court records.
Hennepin County prosecutors charged 37-year-old James Evan Suttles of Minneapolis on Friday with second-degree assault for allegedly hitting a pedestrian with a minivan in the parking lot of Alhikma Islamic Center Mosque in Minneapolis.
The criminal complaint alleges that Suttles was known to harass and intimidate people who came to the mosque and had been trespassed from the property just a week before the incident on Wednesday.
According to court records, police responded to the mosque on May 22 for the reported hit-and-run. At the scene, officers spoke with the victim who said he was unloading his car in the parking lot when the driver of a silver minivan, registered to Suttles, entered the lot and proceeded to speed up and hit him.
The man told police he tried to move out of the way, but the driver swerved into him. Charges said the victim ended up on the hood of the minivan before falling to the ground. The man told law enforcement he hit his head and officers noted he had injuries to his knee, left arm and hip.
Eyewitnesses confirmed the victim’s account to police and said it appeared the driver “intentionally” hit him.
The minivan driver left the scene, and around 9:30 p.m., law enforcement went to the address on Suttles’s driver’s license and found him sitting out front in a silver minivan. Charges allege Suttles attempted to start the van as officers approached, but he was arrested.
According to the complaint, the leader of the mosque said people were concerned for their safety and scared of Suttles as his alleged attacks were against those who attended the mosque and not targeted against a specific person.
The center leader told police that Suttles was trespassed on May 15 after sitting in the parking lot and watching the mosque for an extended time. He added Suttles had previously attacked him in the mosque, charges allege.
Various allegations have been made against Suttles, including assaulting a person who came into the mosque, spraying pepper spray into the building, and slashing several tires in the parking lot. The criminal complaint did not say whether Suttles has been charged or arrested for any of these alleged attacks.
“We are concerned for the safety and wellbeing of the members of the Alhikma Islamic Center Mosque where this occurred,” said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty in a statement. “In light of Mr. Suttles intentionally hitting the victim with a minivan, as well as his prior violent incidents at this mosque, we are seeking high bail. This was a terrifying incident, and I am thankful the victim did not suffer more serious injuries. We are grateful to the Minneapolis Police Department for taking action quickly to investigate and arrest Mr. Suttles and we will continue to partner with their team to investigate the motive. If through further investigation we determine that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that this incident was motivated by bias we will prosecute accordingly.”
According to court records, Suttles has been civilly committed for mental health reasons at least four times since 2015. He remains in custody at the Hennepin County Jail and is scheduled to make his first appearance in court on Tuesday afternoon.
Minneapolis, MN
Man killed over Louie Vuitton bag, suspect was on bond for suspected carjacking, charges say
Minneapolis police are investigating a homicide on Feb. 24, 2026. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A man is dead after a witness said he refused to give up a Louis Vuitton bag while being robbed by multiple men at gunpoint.
Abdirahman Khayre Khayre, 20, is charged with second-degree murder and first-degree robbery for the incident that happened on the evening of Feb. 24 in Minneapolis.
READ MORE: Man fatally shot in south Minneapolis apartment building
Fatal Minneapolis shooting after robbery
The set-up:
Minneapolis police responded around 10:42 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the Abbott Apartments, located on the 100 block of East 18th Street in the Stevens Square neighborhood of Minneapolis.
Officers then found a dead man in the lobby who had been shot multiple times.
A witness to the shooting said he and the victim arrived at the apartments to “hang out” with Khayre, according to the criminal complaint.
The witness said he became suspicious when Khayre he left the room multiple times and “appeared to be stalling.”
The robbery:
The complaint states the witness reported three men then came into the room and yelled “Give me everything.” The men were armed with Glock handguns that had extended magazines as well as an AR-style rifle.
They then stole two guns from the witness, and one of them was handed to Khayre.
When the men demanded a Louis Vuitton bag from the victim, he refused, leading to a fight between them all.
The shooting:
The witness said when he walked toward them, Khayre pointed the witness’ stolen gun at him and racked it.
The witness then got out of the room, ran toward the lobby and heard multiple gunshots. He then saw two of the men flee out the back of the building, but didn’t see what direction they went in.
The victim was then found dead.
The aftermath:
Khayre was then identified by the witness in a photo lineup, according to the criminal complaint.
Police say video footage corroborated much of what the witness reported.
Khayre was on conditional release for a suspected carjacking at the time of the shooting, according to the complaint.
The Source: This story uses information gathered from a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County and previous FOX 9 reporting.
Minneapolis, MN
Minnesota’s Iranian community: Mixed emotions on US-Israel strike
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The local Iranian community in Minnesota is expressing mixed emotions following the recent joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran.
Local reactions to the strike
What we know:
The strike resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to President Donald Trump and Iranian state media. Many Iranians in Minnesota feel this could lead to freedom for their country.
Nazanin Naferipoor shared that her sister in Iran was initially happy about the strike, believing it might bring about freedom. However, communication has been cut off since the strike began, leaving many worried about their loved ones.
The other side:
Hamid Kashani from the Minnesota Committee in Support of a Democratic Iran expressed mixed feelings about the strike. While he hopes for change, he is concerned about the potential loss of innocent lives.
Fazy Kowsari emphasized that the attack targeted the government, not the religion, and criticized the political motivations behind the strike.
Upcoming rally at Nicollet Mall
Why you should care:
A rally is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at Nicollet Mall and 11th Street. Organizers view the U.S. strike as a rescue operation for Iranians held hostage by the regime, rather than an act of war.
Minneapolis, MN
Ex-MN Twins Pitcher Sentenced For Shooting His In-Laws
AUBURN, CA — Former Major League Baseball pitcher Dan Serafini was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering his father-in-law and attempting to murder his mother-in-law in a 2021 ambush-style shooting at a Lake Tahoe-area home.
A Placer County jury previously found Serafini, 51, guilty of fatally shooting 70-year-old Gary Spohr and seriously wounding Spohr’s wife, 68-year-old Wendy Wood, on June 5, 2021, at their home on the lake’s west shore. Wood survived the attack but died a year later.
In a statement obtained by The Associated Press, Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire said that Spohr and Wood were loving grandparents and detailed how Serafini’s crimes had affected the couple’s family members and friends.
“The impact of this attack has extended far beyond the immediate victims, deeply affecting family members and the broader community, and highlighting the lasting harm caused by deliberate violence,” Gire said.
On the day of the shooting, Serafini’s wife, the victims’ daughter, had taken the children to the lake to visit their grandparents.
Prosecutors said the deadly ambush stemmed from a dispute over a $1.3 million investment in a ranch renovation project. The victims had reportedly contributed the money.
In one text message shown in court, Serafini wrote, “I’m gonna kill them one day,” referencing a dispute over $21,000, prosecutors said.
He also sent other threatening messages, including “I will be coming after you” and “Take me to court,” according to ABC10.
Jurors also found Serafini guilty of several “special circumstance” sentencing enhancements, including lying in wait, use of a firearm, and that the attack was willful, deliberate and premeditated. He was also convicted of first-degree burglary.
Prosecutors had also charged Serafini with child endangerment, saying he put his infant and toddler sons at risk by having a gun in the home. Jurors found him not guilty on that count.
The case also involved a second defendant, 33-year-old Samantha Scott, who pleaded guilty to being an accessory in February, according to the New York Post.
A left-hander, Serafini was a 1992 first-round pick for the Minnesota Twins. He also played for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies, pitching for six MLB teams over seven seasons.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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