Suspects in musical instrument thefts arrested

Police have arrested two people suspected of stealing thousands of dollars worth of musical instruments from three St. Paul colleges.

A 29-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man were taken into custody Friday following a traffic stop in Richfield.

St. Paul police believe they stole about a dozen instruments over the last few weeks, including a saxophone, a violin and a bass trombone.

The instruments were reported missing from Macalester College, Hamline University and the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul police Sergeant Paul Paulos said.

"They would go, almost looking like students, go in into the music room and take these instruments and would later pawn them," he said.

The woman arrested was charged earlier this year with attempting to steal an iPad, cell phone and medications from a Twin Cities-area home while a real estate agent was holding an open house.

Police believe the two are connected to other open-house robberies as well. They say records show the woman has pawned more than 100 items this year, including jewelry, electronics and power tools.