3 Break Into Minneapolis LGBTQ Bar, Steal Safe With $3,000
Co-owners of Lush Lounge & Theater say the burglars appeared to know exactly where to go during the late-night break-in.
A Minneapolis LGBTQ bar was robbed after three masked people broke in and stole a safe in under five minutes.
The burglary occurred at Lush Lounge & Theater in Northeast Minneapolis around 4 a.m. on May 6. The perpetrators smashed a ground-level window near the front entrance to gain entry, and the break-in was captured on surveillance video.
The video shows the three masked burglars heading upstairs, one carrying a crowbar. They eventually move out of frame but can be heard breaking into an upstairs office.
Inside the office, the burglars can be heard talking as they remove a small device. One appears to say, “This is it,” before another notices the safe. Using a crowbar, they slide the safe out of the office and eventually send it crashing down a flight of stairs before pushing it out the front doors.
At one point during the break-in, one of the masked individuals appears to search behind the bar. It remains unclear whether anything besides the safe was stolen. The safe reportedly contained about $3,000 in cash, including employee tips.
Jared Lawrence, one of Lush’s three co-owners, told Twin Cities ABC affiliate KSTP that the owners received an alert from the alarm company around 4:20 a.m. He suggested the burglary may have been targeted, noting that the perpetrators appeared to know exactly where to go and how to get in and out quickly without being caught.
“Within five minutes they stole an entire safe of money,” Lush co-owner Andy Rausch told FOX affiliate KMSP. “It’s kind of a devastating blow.”
Lawrence noted that the bar is in the process of launching a campaign to transform the venue into an LGBTQ nonprofit space.
“It feels kind of like a personal attack as a queer space,” he said. “We’re kind of off the beaten path, and we’re trying to do a lot of good for the community, and then something like this happens. What these individuals did is they didn’t just steal from Lush, they stole from the community.”
Rausch said the burglars also caused structural damage to the bar when they threw the safe down a flight of stairs.
Matthew Hudson, who says he is a friend of the bar’s three owners, launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking to raise $3,500 to help recoup the losses.
“Lush has become my home away from home,” Hudson wrote on the GoFundMe page. “The money raised will help Lush continue business as usual, remain a strong advocate for the queer arts community, and ensure their staff can keep the hours they depend on. If you’ve ever had a positive experience at Lush, I encourage you to give back.”
Police have not released descriptions of the suspects or announced any arrests in connection with the burglary. Rausch told CBS News that he has heard of several other businesses in the area being targeted by similar break-ins.
Anyone with information about the burglary is encouraged to contact the Minneapolis Police Department at policetips@minneapolismn.gov or 612-673-5845. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through CrimeStoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477, visiting its website, or using its mobile app.
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