The man accused of breaking into multiple homes and sexually assaulting two women in Brooklyn Park has been formally charged.
Darius Ahmadd Olson-Baker, 25, is facing eight counts of criminal sexual conduct and two counts of first-degree burglary.
RELATED: Brooklyn Park police arrest suspect accused of breaking into homes, sexually assaulting 2 women
Court records say that on July 17 at about 5 a.m., officers responded to a report of an armed burglar inside a home on the 7600 block of Hampshire Avenue North in Brooklyn Park. The suspect left before officers arrived and noted that the sliding back door to the home was open.
A woman said that she was lying in bed when a man, later identified as Olson-Baker, walked into her bedroom, according to the criminal complaint.
She said that he pointed a gun at her and asked for $100 while going through her dresser. The woman said the man then tried to rape her and punched her in the face and neck. After about five minutes, Olson-Baker ran out of the home, court documents note.
Then on Wednesday at about 6:30 a.m., police responded to a burglary at a home on the 7500 block of Jersey Avenue North, which is about two blocks from the first victim’s home. The suspect was once again not there when police arrived.
The second woman, who the complaint notes was “visibly traumatized,” said that she was sleeping on her living room couch when she woke up to a man touching her. According to the complaint, he reportedly pointed a gun at her and said he would kill her if she screamed.
He then walked her into a bedroom, went through her dresser and sexually assaulted her before getting angry and leaving, court records say.
Investigators said that Olson-Baker matched the description provided by both of the victims and that he lived in the same townhome complex as the first woman.
On Wednesday night, law enforcement conducted a search warrant at Olson-Baker’s home and arrested him.
He is currently in custody at the Hennepin County Jail and has his first hearing scheduled for Friday afternoon.
“To say that it’s alarming, that’s exactly accurate; it is alarming,” said Mark Bruley, Brooklyn Park police chief.
Olson-Baker was released from prison on July 7 after being sentenced in 2023 to 60 months on a firearm charge. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office confirmed he served the first two-thirds of his sentence in prison and the final third was to be on supervised release.
What is supervised release?
“Minnesota’s long-standing practice of the 2/3rds in prison, 1/3rd on release is not abnormal,” said Rachel Moran, professor with the University of St. Thomas School of Law.
Brooklyn Park police said a lead from one of their own led them to Olson-Baker.
“He was aware of an individual that Brooklyn Park Police Department has had contact with in the past who exhibited similar behavior many years ago of breaking into the homes of victims,” said Chief Bruley.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS asked police whether Olson-Baker was ever arrested for these specific crimes. Police told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS to submit a data request because there are several reports.
How does supervised release work?
“Basically it’s a situation where you’re released into the community, but it’s under certain restrictions,” said Moran.
Moran noted those restrictions vary. She said for a firearm case, a person can generally go where they want.
“There’s probably check-in points, so maybe they need to be in contact with their supervised release officer,” said Moran.
Court documents say Olson-Baker had a “significant juvenile history of committing burglaries in Brooklyn Park.” He was convicted of first-degree burglary on four separate occasions in 2015-2019, with some of them sharing similarities to the incidents in July.
Below are the conditions of Olson-Baker’s supervised release provided by the Hennepin County Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation:
Comply with all standard conditions of supervised releaseComplete anger management and domestic abuse counselingNo domestic abuseReport any harassment/restraining/domestic orders to probation officerComplete CD counseling as directed and any aftercareNo possession of drug paraphernaliaNo alcohol, marijuana, or controlled substance usage, or use of any mood-altering chemicalsTake medication in the prescribed dosage and frequency and provide a list of prescribed medications to your probation officerNo use of non-prescribed drugsComply with mental health directives and complete mental health counseling as directedComplete a cognitive skills classCommunity members express relief and concern following arrest
One day after the dramatic arrest of Darius Ahmadd Olson-Baker, there’s relief and concern.
“You know, it was pretty scary. This is one of those things that you don’t ever want to happen in your neighborhood,” says Kayt Dols, who has lived in Brooklyn Park for 18 years. “And then there was the first one, and then the second one, and I think we all wondered if they were the same person, the same kind of thing.”
Brooklyn Park Police Commander Nick Knoblauch said Olson-Baker’s alleged actions are disturbing.
“I’ve been with this department for almost twenty years,” declared Brooklyn Park Police Commander Nick Knoblauch. “I can only think of one other time where we’ve had a stranger go into someone’s house and sexually assault them. So, it’s very disturbing.”
Police say earlier on Wednesday, before Baker’s arrest, a sergeant recalled officers had previous contact with him as a juvenile offender and noted he had been released from prison on July 7th.
“We thought this individual was still in prison; we had dealt with him many times in the past,” Knoblauch explained.
Using physical descriptions from the first assault victim and DNA evidence, investigators began zeroing in on Baker as a suspect.
“Once we had a suspect identified, that can really speed up the DNA process,” Knoblauch said.
Officers eventually located Baker at his family home. After his arrest, residents say they are still taking precautions.
“We’re going to install some cameras this weekend just in case,” Dols says. “We have a couple of Ring cams, but I think we’re going to put some in other areas that can pick up a little bit more if needed.”
We asked Tom Fraser, part of a neighborhood watch in the Jersey Avenue area, what he would recommend for households to keep safe.
“The best advice is to keep your doors locked, and that’s day and night and keep windows locked,” he notes. “A lot of windows are now adjustable, so you can open them only a certain distance. And you have to really protect yourself, and that’s one of the best ways to do it.”
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