Man Charged With Carjacking Driver, Holding Him Hostage In Abandoned Minneapolis Gas Station
[UPDATE, Oct. 11, 2022: Charges against Desmond Graham in this case have been dropped.]
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Minneapolis man is facing multiple felony charges for his alleged role in carjacking a man downtown earlier this month, kidnapping him, holding him hostage for several hours in an abandoned gas station, and beating him until he gave up his bank account information.
Desmond Graham, 31, is charged with first-degree aggravated robbery, third-degree assault, and financial transaction card fraud in connection with the March 10 carjacking, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.
According to a criminal complaint, the victim was driving downtown to meet a co-worker when he pulled over near the light rail tracks to check on a strange noise. As he did, Graham and two other men carjacked him, forcing the victim into the backseat.
The carjackers drove the victim to an abandoned gas station near 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, near George Floyd Square in south Minneapolis. The victim told the men he didn't have any money, and they beat him with various tools.
After the victim tried to escape, the men tied him to a piece of furniture and continued to beat him. Fearing he'd be killed, he gave the men his bank account login information and debit card.
Surveillance footage from the bank showed one of the carjackers withdrawing money from the victim's account. Records show he took out $1,000 in the early morning hours on March 11. Security camera footage at an ATM showed Graham withdrawing more funds from the victim's accounts that same morning.
So that the men could take more money from the victim, they untied him and brought him back to his car so that he could withdraw more cash at the bank. He was told that he'd be freed after withdrawing the money, but he wasn't allowed to leave.
While en route to the bank, the victim watched Graham and another one of the carjackers, identified as Larry Mosby, take drugs in the car, the complaint states. Mosby passed out and didn't wake up.
Graham attempted to wake up Mosby by hitting him, the complaint states. When that didn't work, he drove back to the abandoned gas station, where he lit Mosby on fire. Still, Mosby didn't wake up, and Graham put alcohol on his burns. Police later found Mosby's body inside the gas station.
Not long after, the victim made his escape, running to a nearby grocery store as Graham chased him. A worker at the store called 911, and police quickly arrived.
The victim suffered "numerous injuries," prosecutors say. When presented a photo lineup, he was able to identify Graham as one of the perpetrators.
Police arrested Graham on March 28. He was wearing the same jacket he had on when he withdrew cash from the victim's account at the ATM.
Graham has prior felony convictions dating back to 2010, prosecutors say. He is expected to make his first court appearance in this case on Thursday.