MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - An accused bandit in Dinkytown now charged with stealing several bikes and a scooter over the course of several days was thwarted when police were able to track him down using an AirTag.
The bicycle thefts
What we know:
Alec Lindman, 40, is charged with multiple counts of burglary and theft for thefts that occurred in Dinkytown back in June. Between June 8 and June 12, Lindman is accused of stealing one scooter and four bikes.
Local perspective:
Lindman faces five separate criminal complaints for thefts that occurred at The Standard apartment building in Dinkytown.
The charges say the thefts occurred over the course of days and Lindman was captured on video each time entering the bike area.
According to the complaint, Lindman is accused of taking:
- On June 8: A gray Giant bike valued at $500. Police say Lindman cut a U lock to get the bike.
- On June 8: A black Werhy electric scooter valued at $400. The scooter was stolen from the same secured bike garage.
- On June 9: A dark-blue Fuiji bike valued at $800. Another one of the residents bikes was also missing but later discovered outside the building. Bike locks were tampered with to get at the bikes.
- On June 10: A light blue mountain bike valued at $1,800. The bike was also in the secured bike garage and a bike lock had been removed.
- On June 12: A e-bike valued at $1,200 was stolen from the bike garage. A bike lock was tampered with to get the bike.
Big picture view:
Minneapolis police were able to track down Lindman after the June 12 theft. The stolen e-bike was outfitted with an AirTag that was pinging at the Maya Commons apartment complex – just a few blocks from The Standard north on 14th Avenue SE.
The complaint doesn't note an encounter between police and Lindman. However, police did recover the e-bike, which had been missing its front tire, seat, and hardware, making it inoperable. Police said they connected the address to Lindman through probation records.
Criminal history
The backstory:
Lindman has several past convictions for theft, including a case from just last month that he already pleaded guilty to for a theft at a Target. Last year, Lindman was charged after he was caught driving a Minneapolis Police Department bait vehicle.
What's next:
Prosecutors requested a warrant for Lindman in the theft cases. However, it appears Lindman is already being held in Hennepin County Jail and has been there since June 13, a day after the AirTag tracking.
The Hennepin County Jail roster notes he's being held on several cases, including his arrest last month, his 2025 cases, along with a case out of Ramsey County and a case out of Anoka County.
He is scheduled to appear in Hennepin County Court on theft cases next month.