BEMIDJI – Two men and two teenagers were arrested after allegedly attempting to steal another boy’s bag and scooter near Algoma Park in Bemidji on Tuesday.
According to a Bemidji Police press release, officers responded to a report of a robbery near Algoma Park in the 3500 block of Minnesota Avenue NW at 12:50 p.m. on Tuesday, August 6.
When officers arrived, they noticed a boy who said he was surrounded by four men and demanded his scooter and bag, otherwise they would attack him.
The group eventually fled the park after attempting to snatch the scooter and bag from the boy, the release said. An off-duty Bemidji police officer was at the park with his family and witnessed the incident. He gave officers responding to the incident descriptions of the suspects and noted the direction they fled.
Officers secured a perimeter in the area and quickly located three of the suspects, the release said. After a lengthy search of the area, a resident of the Vista North neighborhood contacted dispatch to report a suspicious person hiding in the bushes near his home.
Police responded and identified the hidden person as the fourth suspect. Officers arrested 18-year-old Nathaniel Williams and 20-year-old Landon Lovejoy, as well as a 15-year-old and a 14-year-old, in connection with this incident.
The charges requested include simple robbery, the release states. Bemidji police were assisted by the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota State Patrol and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
“Without the quick response and information provided to us by off-duty BPD officers and citizens, it would not have been possible for officers investigating the incident to locate and identify the four suspects so quickly,” the press release said.
Anyone with further information should contact Detective Nick Whichello at (218) 333-8312.
Anyone with information about this crime can report it anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers of Minnesota through their website crimestoppersmn.org, calling toll-free at 1 (800) 222-TIPS, or using the P3 Tip Submit app.
“Any contact with Crime Stoppers is anonymous and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000,” the press release states. “The Bemidji Police Department encourages you to submit information to Crime Stoppers so you can avoid being penalized and stay safe while ‘doing the right thing.'”
