On September 30, 2025, officers with the University of Minnesota Police Department met with a known person (“Victim”) regarding a theft that had occurred at Tate Hall which is located at [ADDRESS REDACTED] Southeast in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Victim told officers that he left his office, in Tate Hall, for approximately twenty-minutes. Upon Victim’s return, he found that his blue backpack (“the Backpack”) had been taken. Inside of the Backpack were many personal items belonging to Victim.
Victim also reported that his laptop and vehicle key fob were missing. The total value of the items taken is no less than $1515.00. Victim was able to track the location of his laptop via a feature of the laptop. The laptop was near a light rail station in St. Paul. University of Minnesota officers requested officers from the St. Paul Police Department respond to the light rail station. Meanwhile, officers learned from Victim [NAME REDACTED] had moved location and was nearby a Target store in St. Paul.
At this time, Victim had received a notification, from a credit card company, that one of Victim’s card, that had been in the Backpack, had been declined at the Target Store. Officers from the St. Paul Police Department located a male, at the Target, who was possessing items belonging to Victim. The male was arrested and identified as Michael Lenelle Bennett [DOB REDACTED] (“Defendant”). The items were returned to Victim, [NAME REDACTED] reported that not all of the items that were in the Backpack were recovered.
Officers were able to obtain video surveillance from Tate hall which showed Defendant walking in Tate hall, and subsequently leaving, with the Backpack.
