A Hopkins man wearing a ski mask allegedly tried to pull open the door of a truck outside a business before fleeing from officers on foot, prosecutors say.
Alexander John Kihm, 18, of Hopkins, faces charges of theft of a motor vehicle and fleeing police.
According to the complaint, Hopkins officers responded to a burglary alarm at a business on the 400 block of 17th Avenue North at about 2 a.m. on Sept. 13. Officers arrived to find a person dressed in all black and wearing a ski mask pulling on the door handle of a truck parked outside the business.
READ MORE → Hennepin County coverage
Police ordered the person to stop, but he ran from the scene on foot. Officers eventually detained him and identified him as Alexander John Kihm.
After being read his rights, Kihm told police he had been driving the vehicle he was seen near and claimed it belonged to a friend. The complaint states that the next day, police received a report that the vehicle was stolen. Officers spoke with the owners, who said they didn’t know Kihm and had not given him permission to drive the vehicle.
Kihm is charged with theft for taking or driving a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent, and with fleeing a peace officer for running from police on foot after being ordered to stop.
Kihm was set to make his first appearance on the charges on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
About This Charge
Minnesota’s general theft statute is § 609.52. Penalties scale with the dollar value taken: more than $500 is a gross misdemeanor, more than $1,000 is a five-year felony and more than $5,000 is a 10-year felony. Theft of a firearm, or a theft of more than $35,000 by swindle or another listed method, carries up to 20 years. Burglary is charged separately under § 609.582.
Related MN CRIME Coverage
1 Charged After Loaded Gun, Stolen Goods Found at Walmart • Minneapolis Woman Charged After Stealing Clothes, Carrying Gun • Stolen Car Recovery Unravels Bloomington Burglary and Chase Spree
Jurisdictional Context
Hennepin County is Minnesota’s most populous jurisdiction. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 45 surrounding cities; the Fourth Judicial District presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
