On October 13, 2025, at approximately 9:40 P.M., University of Minnesota Police officers investigated a report that three people were attempting to break into the entrance doors to the west bank steam tunnels located on West River Parkway, in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. The report indicated that the three people had failed to force the doors open with crowbars and entered a small sedan and drove away from the scene. Police officers located the suspect vehicle approximately ten seconds later, stopped it, and arrested its three occupants: the driver, Co-respondent T. A. D., and passengers Co-defendant Austin James Bowman, [DOB REDACTED], and Defendant ANTHONY LEE PRIOR, [DOB REDACTED]. Co- defendant Bowman possessed a firefighting tool and police located three crowbars inside the vehicle.
In a post-Miranda statement, Co-defendant Bowman said that he and his accomplices wanted to try to enter the steam tunnels after they saw a video on social media showing other people entering them. He claimed that they only pulled on the doors but did not break anything. Co-defendant Bowman said that they had tools in the car that they planned to use if they could not get in but claimed they did not need to use them. Police reviewed surveillance camera footage that showed the three accomplices approach the steam tunnel entrance door at approximately 9:32 P.M. Co-defendant Bowman removed a crowbar from his pants and pried at the door frame while Defendant pulled on the door.
The video also showed Co-respondent T. A. D. Standing nearby, looking around, and appearing to notify his accomplices when cars approach. Each time a car passed by, Co-defendant Bowman hid his crowbar or ducked behind the structure. The group walked out of the camera's view at approximate 9:33 P.M. The three accomplices returned at 9:40 P.M., at which time both Defendant and Co-defendant Bowman used crowbars to pry at the door from different angles. Co-respondent T. A. D. Continued to stand nearby and appeared to notify his co-defendants of passing cars.
The video shows at least one accomplice appearing to pry on the card reader. The frame of steam tunnel doors and access card reader were damaged due to the three accomplices' efforts to pry open the door. Police obtained an estimate indicating that the cost to repair that damage was $5,950.
