State Senator Bobby Jo Champion has stolen car recovered in St. Paul

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Published  February 1, 2026 8:46pm CST
FOX 9

The Brief

    • Bobby Joe Champion, a Minnesota lawmaker out of north Minneapolis, had his car stolen Saturday morning.
    • He posted to Facebook that he was at Milda's Cafe in Minneapolis when he walked outside and his vehicle, a BMW 330i, was gone.
    • Champion said the car was recovered Sunday morning, but the driver's side window was shattered, the vehicle was ransacked and had been involved in a collision with another car.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Minnesota state senator from north Minneapolis has his vehicle back about 24 hours after it was reportedly stolen and vandalized.

Bobby Joe Champion’s car stolen near Minneapolis cafe

What we know:

Bobby Joe Champion, a DFL lawmaker from District 59, posted to Facebook Saturday morning that he was at Milda’s Café when he went outside to discover his power blue BMW 330i was gone.

Stolen car recovered

The backstory:

Champion provided an update at 10 a.m. Sunday that his vehicle was recovered and returned. He posted pictures to Facebook of the driver’s side window shattered, a mirror broken, damage to the back seat and an entire side of the vehicle damaged.

He said whoever stole the vehicle used it to sideswipe another, and his vehicle was left with trash, jackets and credit cards belonging to other people.

The vehicle was located on St. Paul’s east side.

Champion said the following on Facebook:

What they're saying:

"I want to extend a huge thank you to the community members who called me, shared tips and sightings, and helped to locate it. I’m also incredibly grateful to Officer Nothmega with Minneapolis Police, who was truly outstanding in keeping me informed and assisting throughout the process, as well as the St. Paul Police Department, and Tyrone Terrill, since the vehicle was ultimately located on St. Paul’s east side. Kudos as well to BMW Assist, who worked with us to track down my battered vehicle! 

We talk often about carjackings and vehicle theft in our community, but experiencing it firsthand is frustrating in a whole different way. A window was busted, the vehicle was rifled through, a different vehicle was side swiped by the individuals driving my car and vehicle was left filled with trash, jackets, and credit cards belonging to others. 

Additionally, I found a general tool, rescue one escape tool, that’s used to break glass, cut seatbelts, and it has a LED flashlight. The tool is designed to help occupants escape a vehicle in an emergency. However, these days, it is being used to break in and steal vehicles. 

I sincerely hope we continue moving toward a place where people hold one another accountable and recognize that something that isn’t yours is simply that - not yours.

Thank you again to everyone who checked in, helped, and showed up yesterday and today. Onward we go!"

Crime and Public SafetyPoliticsMinneapolis