A 911 emergency hang-up call prompted Rochester Police officers to check out a disturbance at 108 13th Ave. S.E. just before 9 a.m. on Monday March 16th. On the phone, the dispatch heard arguing, but no other information. As police arrived at the scene, there was no way to tell if it was just a minor dispute, or what else might be going on. Luckily, the Rochester Police officers used caution when approaching the house, because when they yelled in to see what was going on, they saw masked intruders inside.
With only two officers on the scene right away, they managed to get the victims out of the house, and retreated back outside to wait for some backup. One of the victims had been assaulted and was bleeding, most likely from being hit with a pistol.
After reinforcements had arrived, one of the intruders surrendered to police and indicated there were two more suspects inside with guns, but after an extended standoff, the house was found to be empty and they had apparently fled earlier.
In a surprising turn of events, police found 3 grams of cocaine and $4,000 dollars in the room of the 24 year old victim, which I would surmise would have been the intended target of the intruders. A Rochester Police Department officer made mention to a Post Bulletin reporter that most home invasions are not random, usually they are targeted at a place where there is known to be some valuable property.
- Victim: Tesfamichael Yifteralo, 24
- Apprehended Suspect: Abdullahi Warsame, 21
- Man faces charges after home invasion - Post Bulletin
I would like to commend the Rochester Police Department for their professionalism and for using due diligence to keep the victims, neighbors, and fellow officers as safe as possible while investigating this armed home invasion. Though the end result didn’t end in capturing all the suspects, the steps the police took ensured that everyone involved came out safe, and that is an important thing to recognize.
