The Nokomis Day Care Center in Minneapolis was burglarized overnight and records for staff and enrolled children were reported stolen. Manager Nasrulah Mohamed said the break-in likely occurred between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., and the center has received hateful and threatening messages since a viral video by journalist Nick Shirley drew national attention. Nokomis is licensed for up to 71 children and resolved two minor violations in October. Federal investigations into alleged Minnesota child-care fraud — possibly totaling up to $1 billion — have led HHS to freeze certain payments until the state verifies fund legitimacy.
Somali-Run Minneapolis Daycare Burglarized Overnight; Staff and Child Records Stolen
A Nokomis Day Care Center manager spoke at a press conference following a vandalism incident.
A Somali-run daycare in Minneapolis, Nokomis Day Care Center, was burglarized and vandalized overnight, and staff say "important documentation," including records for employees and enrolled children, was taken, according to the center's manager.
Manager Nasrulah Mohamed told reporters the break-in likely occurred between about 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. He said a door to the building was damaged and portions of an interior wall were stripped out. The Minneapolis Police Department confirmed a burglary at the site.
Video circulated online showing sections of the interior gutted. The building appeared to have an exterior security camera, but it was not clear whether the cameras captured the incident or footage of the suspect(s).
In addition to property damage, Mohamed said the intruder(s) removed documents related to the daycare's staff and children. He linked the incident to a viral 42-minute video by independent journalist Nick Shirley — which showed visits to nearly a dozen daycare facilities while alleging fraud — and suggested the attention from the clip may have caused his center to be targeted. Mohamed stressed that Nokomis Day Care Center was not one of the facilities featured in Shirley’s video.
The Nokomis Daycare center in Minnesota was broken into this week and vandalized, the manager of the facility said. Important documents, including those related to employees and the children at the daycare, were also allegedly stolen as the scrutiny intensifies on Minneapolis day care centers amid widespread fraud allegations.
"This is devastating news, and we don’t know why this is targeting our Somali community," Mohamed said. He added the center has received what he described as "hateful" and "threatening" messages in recent days and called the situation "frightening and exhausting."
State records show Nokomis Day Care Center is licensed and in good standing to care for up to 71 children, including infants, toddlers and preschoolers, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services (MDHS). MDHS also noted two violations in October — menus that failed to meet U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional requirements and missing paperwork to verify a teacher's qualifications — both of which the center corrected.
The break-in comes amid national scrutiny of child-care programs run by Somali immigrants in Minnesota after allegations of widespread fraud that federal prosecutors say could involve as much as $1 billion. Dozens of people have been indicted in connection with the alleged scheme.
The federal response has included action by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which said it is freezing certain child-care payments to Minnesota unless the state can demonstrate those funds are being used legitimately. HHS reported Minnesota received $185 million in such payments in 2025.
Authorities are investigating the burglary. The center and the community have expressed concern for the safety and privacy of families affected by the stolen records and continue to urge anyone with information or relevant footage to contact police.
