A Minneapolis man is accused of robbing Target stores across the Twin Cities armed with a machete.
Abdikadir Ayanle Ali, 32, was charged via warrant in Ramsey County District Court on Tuesday with four counts of first-degree aggravated robbery in connection with the robbery spree, according to the criminal complaint.
He also faces aggravated robbery charges in Hennepin County, authorities say.
Ali walked into the Target Express on Ford Parkway in St. Paul last Nov. 10 and flashed a machete before fleeing the store with nearly $650 worth of stolen merchandise, the complaint said.
Five days later, he returned to the store with the machete and used it to cut security straps from nearly $2,000 worth of items before he placed them in a laundry bag and took off, charges say.
Staff at that store reportedly saw Ali’s conduct but chose not to confront him because he was armed with the machete.
Two weeks later, authorities say Ali used the machete to cut five cellphones valued at nearly $900 from the display rack at a Target on University Avenue in St. Paul’s Midway area.
Then he brought a knife back to the Target Express on Ford Parkway on Dec. 23 when he stole another $415 worth of merchandise, authorities say.
Investigators used surveillance videos to identify Ali as the suspect in the various thefts, which include five incidents in Ramsey County and seven in Hennepin County, according to the complaint.
After his arrest, Ali confessed to robbing the Midway Target at least 10 times, as well as other locations, saying he stole the machete from Walmart to aid him in the crimes because he knew the weapon would “intimidate” anyone who tried to stop him, according to the complaint.
He said he never used the machete to directly threaten anyone, though, adding that he robbed the stores to support his methamphetamine addiction and that he should have known better, the complaint said.
No attorney was listed for Ali in court records.
