Charges: Man Carjacked 5 People In 1 Hour And 10 Minutes In Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A St. Paul man has been charged after allegedly carjacking five people in the span of an hour and 10 minutes in Minneapolis.
His arrest and charges were part of the "carjacking crackdown," in which the Minneapolis Police Department and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office announced they had arrested approximately 50 people for the crime.
Carjacking Crackdown: Minneapolis Police Chief, Henn. Co. Sheriff Announce 50 Arrests
Brandon Lee Rock, 20, was charged in Hennepin County with five counts of first-degree aggravated robbery and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to the criminal complaint, Rock was with a young boy on the morning of Nov. 27. At 7 a.m., the two of them approached a man on the 1300 block of 7th Street southeast in Minneapolis. Rock was holding a handgun and pointed it at the man, who was getting into his car. He demanded that the man give them his wallet, cell phone, and car keys.
At 7:15 a.m., the two approached another man at 21st Avenue south and East Lake Street. Rock pointed his handgun at the man and took his wallet and jacket before fleeing the scene.
At 7:50 a.m., the two pulled up to a woman sitting in her car around the 300 block of Elmwood Place. They blocked the woman from exiting her car and Rock pointed the gun at her, demanding she get out of the car and give them her purse. She refused and drove away as Rock fired multiple rounds into her car.
The criminal complaint goes on to say that at 8 a.m., a man was on his phone, sitting in his car around the intersection of 38th Street west and Dupont Avenue south. Rock tapped on his window with the gun and demanded that he get out of his car and hand over his car keys, cell phone, and any other personal items he had. Though Rock and the boy got into the man's car, they eventually left in the first victim's car. The fourth victim identified Rock in a photo lineup.
At 8:10 a.m., the two pulled up next to a man walking around the 2900 block of Pleasant Avenue. They demanded he hand over his personal items, and though the man tried to run away, Rock and the boy took an envelope with approximately $1,300 from the man's back pocket.
Ten minutes later, officers saw the first victim's car and tried to stop it, but it sped away. They later found the car unoccupied around the 2300 block of Pillsbury Avenue South. Inside, they found the second victim's wallet and jacket.
Officers executed a search warrant at around 2400 Ogema Place. While searching the residence, officers found multiple personal items believed to belong to the victims and a loaded 9mm handgun. Rock was at the address and was arrested.
If convicted, Rock could serve up to 107 years in prison.
