Police are investigating about 10 suspects who they say are responsible for a ring of at least a dozen residential burglaries spanning from Carlton County to Duluth Township in recent months.
Five suspects already have been taken into custody, the Hermantown Police Department reported today.
The suspects appear to have committed the burglaries to support drug habits, police said. During a Nov. 12 search warrant executed at the home of one suspect, Hermantown investigators found what they described as "a large amount of stolen property that had been stolen from Northland homes." Police said they also seized items from area pawn shops that they believe were purchased from the suspects.
Four adults were taken into custody while committing a burglary at a Rice Lake Township home Tuesday, police said. The two men and two women, all Duluth residents, are awaiting formal charges, which should include second-degree burglary, police said. The News Tribune generally does not identify suspects until they are formally charged.
Sara Jean Peterson, 31, of Duluth previously was arrested in connection with a burglary and charged with second-degree burglary. Another suspect also is in jail on separate charges, police said.
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At least 12 home invasions occurred in the cities of Duluth, Hermantown and Cloquet and the townships of Midway, Rice Lake, Canosia, Duluth and Lakewood.
The case is being investigated by numerous agencies including the Duluth Police Department, Hermantown Police Department, St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, Duluth Township Police Department and the Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
