Source: Moriarty’s office declines to charge alleged anti-ICE vandal

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) has reportedly declined to charge a man arrested in January for allegedly vandalizing several businesses in Minneapolis along Lake Street during an anti-ICE protest.

Francis David Steinhauer, 24, of Minneapolis was arrested on Jan. 10 after police said he was responsible for vandalizing several businesses with anti-ICE graffiti, including a theater, church, a Minneapolis school building, a Hennepin County healthcare building, and Target, as well as a Metro Transit bus stopped in traffic, according to a press release by the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) following the arrest.

The press release included a statement by MPD Chief Brian O’Hara specifying that “all the businesses and property damaged were along the Lake St corridor, the heart of Minneapolis’ immigrant community.” The chief’s statement went on to say, “This is exactly what I had predicted: damage being done would affect the heart of our immigrant community along Lake Street.”

Several photos of the damage were released by MPD in its statement, which said that while monitoring a group marching along Lake Street, officers saw a man spray painting a Metro Transit bus stopped in traffic. As the group continued marching, the man was seen spray painting multiple businesses. Officers were directed to his location by others who were monitoring cameras in the area. When officers attempted to arrest the man, he fled on foot, but officers were able to take him into custody a short time later. The police report obtained by Crime Watch Minneapolis also indicated that a drone was utilized to track the suspect and assist in the arrest.

However, jail records indicated that Steinhauer was released from custody without being charged after being held for 36 hours. Crime Watch recently learned from a source that the HCAO had declined to charge Steinhauer and filed a data request to inquire why.

The HCAO replied with a denial to fulfill the data request and stated, in part, “To the extent that the data you are seeking exists, it is protected against disclosure as attorney data under Minn. Stat. 13.393 and/or the attorney work product doctrine.”

This would not be the first time Mary Moriarty’s office has declined to charge a vandal who aligns with left-wing causes in Hennepin County. She infamously declined to charge Minnesota Department of Human Services employee Dylan Adams after he was captured on surveillance videos damaging multiple Tesla vehicles in Minneapolis last year, resulting in felony-level damages of over $20,000. Adams was instead entered into a “diversion” program in lieu of being charged.

Meanwhile, Moriarty recently threatened to charge anyone sending “hateful” messages to the Somali community in the wake of massive fraud revelations, and she has repeatedly vowed to prosecute federal agents she claims acted unlawfully during the recent Operation Metro Surge immigration enforcement in Minnesota.

Alpha News reached out to Moriarty’s office for comment but did not receive a response.

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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.

Crime Watch MN

Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.