Door Chain Surprises Would-be Burglar: Fridley Police Blotter

A female complainant came to Fridley Police headquarters April 23 to report an attempted burglary at her apartment in the 7800 block of East River Road. She said a male she couldn't identify used a key to open her apartment door—but only as far as the chain-lock would allow. The would-be burglar then let out an exclamation of surprise and left.

Here are more items selected from information provided by the Fridley Police Department:

April 21:

• An officer stopped a vehicle in the 5300 block of East River Road due to recent thefts in the area. The vehicle's occupants were known narcotics users.
• Someone stole a stereo and accessories from an unlocked vehicle parked in a lot in the 7800 block of East River Road.
• Someone caused about $1,000 of damage by smashing a front glass door with a baseball bat in the 900 block of Hillwind Road NE but did not enter the building. It is the third attempted burglary there.
• Two men sitting in a car in the 500 block of 67th Avenue NE turned out to be only waiting for a real estate agent to arrive so they could look at a house for sale.
• A complainant reported a scam phone call in which the caller asked her to wire money because her grandson was in a Mexican jail.
• Fridley police referred to Spring Lake Park police a report from a female who said her boyfriend punched her in the face at church in Spring Lake Park.
• A mother reported her teenage son had received lewd pictures via text message from a male. Police took the phone into evidence for investigation.
• Police issued verbal warnings to two pedestrians for failing to obey walk/don't walk signs at 53rd and University avenues NE.
• An officer asked three people to leave the 4700 block of Second Street NE after a report of people inside a construction dumpster.
• An overnight employee blamed a 911 hangup call from Target, 755 53rd Ave. NE, on phone problems the store was experiencing.

April 22:

• A male tried to pass a counterfeit bill at Cub Foods, 246 57th Ave. NE.
• A police officer mediated a civil dispute over a car in the parking lot of Burger King, 289 57th Ave. NE.
• Police found and arrested a shoplifter who fled on foot from WalMart, 8450 University Ave. NE.
• Officers found that caller's complaint about a suspicious person hanging around stripped vehicles in the lot of a vacant business in the 3700 block of East River Road turned out to be several males who had recently bought the cars at a nearby auto auction.
• Police mediated a dispute between a 10-year-old boy, his mother and her boyfriend at Old Country Buffet, 6540 University Ave. NE. 

April 23:

• A K9 confirmed what an officer smelled during a traffic stop, resulting in a citation for posession of a small amount of marijuana for the driver.
• A caller reported someone stole an iPod and CD deck from his locked vehicle parked in the 6500 block of East River Road.
• A male reported to have been chasing employees in the 500 block of Osborne Road NE was taken to jail for posession of suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
• A caller who reported a suspicious box in the middle of the road in the 5200 block of Ashton Street NE claimed it when police arrived.
• A complainant in the 100 block of Charles Street NE said someone stole all four wheel rims and tires off her car during the early morning hours.
• An officer mediated a dispute between neighbors in the 100 block of Hartman Circle NE about comments made to a dog.
• An officer found that a bicycle reported as abandoned in the 6700 block of Kennaston Drive NE was in fact secured to a tree and had not been reported as stolen or lost.
• Police caught one of two shoplifters who ran from Menards, 5351 Central Ave. NE and issued him a complaint for theft.

In all incidents where an arrest occurred, a charge is merely an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. The arrested person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Incidents generally appear in the order in which they were reported, not necessarily the order in which they occurred.