Jory Daniel Wiebrand faces charges in two cases that include criminal sexual conduct and burglary.

MINNEAPOLIS — The Hennepin County Attorney's Office has charged a man who investigators believe is connected to a series of sexual assaults and burglaries in a Minneapolis neighborhood near the U of M, as well as in Anoka County.

Jory Daniel Wiebrand, 34, of Ham Lake, is currently charged with first-degree burglary and criminal predatory conduct in a June 2019 case, as well as with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and first-degree burglary and assault in connection with a August 2019 case.

Both cases took place in Minneapolis. Prosecutors say a woman was attacked in her home in each case.

According to a news release from the Hennepin County Attorney's office, the June 2 case involved a woman who was attacked while sleeping in her home on the 800 block of 5th Street Southeast. The victim said she was awakened by a man who put one hand over her mouth and another around her neck. She was able to fight off the man, who fled with the victim's money and credit cards.

In the August 7 case, a criminal complaint says a woman told police she was attacked and sexually assaulted early in the morning by an unknown intruder in her apartment on the 700 block of 4th Street Southeast. The victim said the only thing the attacker said to her was "I'm your worst nightmare."

The complaint states the victim was able to fight off the attacker and kick him in the stomach, and was able to get a look at him. Prosecutors say the attacker then sprayed pepper spray in the victim's face and as she continued to fight, he fled the apartment.

According to the complaint, the victim had multiple contusions and abrasions across her face and body. The complaint says two DNA swabs taken from the victim are able to rule out 99.9992% and 99.99998% of the population, but the results do not rule out Wiebrand.

The complaint states Wiebrand "has been linked to nine other sexual assaults, assaults, and burglaries occurring between 2013 and 2020 in this same Minneapolis neighborhood and Anoka County, Minnesota." Wiebrand is currently charged in two cases, but prosecutors said more charges are expected to be filed.

“These charges are the result of excellent police work by a number of agencies and we expect to file charges in additional cases soon,” Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said in a news release. “Until last week, Mr. Wiebrand’s DNA was not on file with any police agency, so developing a fingerprint and getting a match from an earlier, unrelated arrest allowed police to identify him as a suspect and seek a search warrant to obtain his DNA.While we need to prove his guilt in court, if we are successful, we will seek an enhanced sentence so he will be unable to terrorize women for a long time.”

The first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge could carry up to a 30 year prison sentence. The burglary charge could carry a maximum 20 year sentence, if Wiebrand is convicted.

On Sunday, Mayor Jacob Frey joined police in announcing the arrest.

“Minneapolis is a bit safer,” the mayor said. “This result has been the culmination of an extraordinary amount of work.”

Police say the attacker committed his crimes primarily in the Marcy Holmes and Dinkytown neighborhoods near the University of Minnesota.

“We recognize above all the victim survivors, their strength, and their courage. We thank them for their patience and for the faith that they put in us,” said Lt. Darcy Horn, who heads MPD’s sex crimes unit.

Police say the suspect was arrested on Friday at his home in Anoka county.

The arrest comes five weeks after police released sketches of the suspect and pleaded for tips from the public.

MPD Deputy Chief of Investigations Erick Fors thanked the community for numerous tips, but said diligent investigative work gave investigators their break.

“We developed information that came from evidence analyzed from a different case,” Fors said.

Fors wouldn’t say if DNA evidence provided a match, but his description left that possibility open.

“We had collected evidence in a series of incidents that through analysis led us to believe with certainty that it was the same individual committing these acts,” Fors said.

Fors said further evidence collected Friday confirmed to police they had the right man. “It required us to have, to find the person,” Fors said. “That, I will say, until Friday, was not someone that was in the forefront.”

With the prospect of more attacks looming, police said the investigation had become a priority within the department.