4 charged in 'terrifying night' of Twin Cities killings, robbery, mayhem

Calling it one of the most violent rampages he's seen as a prosecutor, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman Tuesday detailed allegations tying four people to two Twin Cities killings, a robbery and the terrorizing of a family all in one night.

The crime spree, running only about three hours on the night of Oct. 18, led to a woman killed in St. Paul, a man robbed outside his apartment building and a family of six, including children, terrorized during a home invasion, Freeman said Tuesday at press conference.

"Surveillance photos at a variety of convenience stores and gas stations show that when these burglaries occurred, credit cards and debit cards were taken," Freeman said.

Alvin Bell Jr., 25, Isiah Harper, 26, Michelle Koester, 42, and Albert McIntosh, 31, were all charged on late Friday with aggravated robbery, second-degree murder, first-degree burglary and burglary with a dangerous weapon, he said.

"This kind of unparalleled crime scheme and spree should result in long prison sentences for all four of them," Freeman said.

The four face charges in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. They were already in jail in connection with the killing that night of Sarah Wierstad, 24, who apparently interrupted the group after they randomly selected her St. Paul home to burglarize.

Prosecutors say the Wierstad shooting was the first act in the crime spree. By 8:16 p.m., Bell, Harper and Koester were at a Minneapolis gas station paying for gas with Wierstad's stolen credit card, according to the charges.

Just after 9 p.m., Bell, Harper and McIntosh, all wearing hoods, robbed a man in Minneapolis, taking money and a credit card.

At 10 p.m., police in north Minneapolis found a man lying shot in an alley, gasping for air. He later died from his wounds.

At 11:17, police were called were to a south Minneapolis home on report of a home invasion and burglary. The victims were a family, including four children ages 11 to 18. They were ordered to get down on the floor while the suspects took cell phones, cash and a PlayStation 3.

One of the victims identified Harper as one of the attackers, according to prosecutors.

Freeman said the suspects, who are associates, target Latinos, but their alleged crimes appeared to be random.

"We believe from their own comments that these robbers target Latinos with the anticipation that Latinos may not have other bank accounts or maybe carrying amounts of cash," he said.

He said the investigations are still ongoing and there could be more charges.

"We have this distinct impression this wasn't their first time," he said. "They may not have been not very good at it, but they have been at it for a while."