Police are investigating approximately 10 suspects who they say are responsible for a ring of at least a dozen residential burglaries spanning from Carlton County to Duluth Township over the past several months.
Five suspects have already been taken into custody as officers from several Northland law enforcement agencies continue to investigate, the Hermantown Police Department reported today.
The suspects appear to have been committing 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, was previously taken into custody in connection with a burglary and charged with second-degree burglary. Another suspect is also in jail on separate charges, police said.
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The burglars were responsible for at least 12 home invasions in the cities of Duluth, Hermantown and Cloquet and the townships of Midway, Rice Lake, Canosia, Duluth and Lakewood over the past several months, police said.
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.
