Nine juveniles are now charged in connection to a string of robberies around Minneapolis last month.

The first robbery spree happened over the period of Feb. 9-12. In just over a half-day span that Sunday, more than a dozen robberies were reported and 30 cases were reported over five days.

Then, this past weekend on Sunday, several other robberies were reported, including four in a span of 18 minutes.

Friday, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced charges against nine juveniles in connection to the sprees, although three of them aren’t actually facing robbery charges.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty released a video statement Friday noting that her office received five cases for charging consideration from police for the first wave of robberies and seven cases linked to this past weekend’s spree. Prosecutors filed charges in four of the cases from the first wave of robberies and five of the cases from this past weekend.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara has said the suspects in the sprees have mainly worked in groups, targeting purses, wallets and phones in addition to some carjackings. On Sunday, he noted that officers believe many of the people involved in this past weekend’s crime spree were likely involved in the spree from earlier in February, although he noted that’s just a suspicion.

Moriarty specifically highlighted that message from police before saying that none of the cases that MPD submitted from this past weekend’s robberies were part of any of the cases police submitted for charges earlier in February.

Additionally, most of the juveniles charged in the spree in early February are not facing a robbery charge, but rather various charges like fleeing police, theft and gun possession.

“It’s important to understand that simply because a youth may be found in a stolen car does not mean that we can prove that they stole the car. It also doesn’t mean that they were in the car at the time it was used to commit a robbery,” Moriarty said, adding that prosecutors have to rely on MPD’s investigative work to prove their cases.

Two 16-year-olds charged in connection to that first spree were arrested on Feb. 12 after a suspect vehicle involved in the weekend crime spree crashed into a bus stop during a pursuit. Neither were charged with robberies, but other charges including theft of a motor vehicle or possession of a weapon.

Other charges include:

• A 17-year-old is facing aiding aggravated robbery and other charges for a carjacking on Feb. 9.
• A 17-year-old facing several counts of aiding aggravated robbery and gun possession for a series of robberies on Feb. 25.
• A 16-year-old facing simple robbery for taking a car on Feb. 26.
• A 17-year-old facing aiding simple robbery for his role in taking that same car on Feb. 26.
• A 16-year-old also facing aiding simple robbery for taking the same car on Feb. 26.

Petitions against the other two juveniles aren’t public because one is under 16 and the other isn’t facing a felony but a spokesperson for the attorney’s office confirmed that one is facing a robbery charge and the other is charged with fleeing police.

Moriarty said her office is ready to charge any others linked to the robbery sprees if they have proof. O’Hara has said his office is doing everything it can and also urged the public to report any suspicious activity as quickly as possible to help police in their efforts to catch those involved in the spree. The chief has also highlighted on multiple occasions how important and helpful it is for victims to observe as many details about suspects as possible.

Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.