MINNEAPOLIS — A pillar of the north Minneapolis community is being remembered Friday night at a vigil.
Seventy-year-old Rosie Means was crossing the street on her mobility scooter Monday when police say a man blew a red light and hit and killed her.
Means' friends and family gathered at the intersection of West Broadway and Aldrich Avenues North on scooters that are similar to the one Means was riding.
Police say she was in the crosswalk and had the right of way when she was hit.
"It's frustrating; it's unreal is one of the other words we've used," said Means' daughter Marilyn Reese. "To not know that she was laying out here at that time is, I wouldn't wish that on anyone's parent."
Police say the suspect, 21-year-old Cameron Bendson, ran a red light, hit Means and drove off. Surveillance video captured the hit-and-run, along with the Jeep's license plate, which identified Bendson as the owner. Court documents state that police had received an unrelated call one day earlier reporting that Bendson was high on methamphetamine and driving his Jeep.
Early Tuesday, a Minnesota State trooper found the Cherokee crashed in the median on Highway 100 in Brooklyn Park. The trooper said the interior had been set on fire. Later the same day, St. Anthony police were called on a report of a suspicious person behind a business. Officers responded and reportedly found Bendson in a stolen vehicle and arrested him.
In his first court appearance Friday, a judge ruled Bendson has to undergo a chemical dependency evaluation. His bail was set at $150,000.
This, while Means' family is remembering a woman the community affectionately called many names.
"Rosie, Gramps, you know, mama," said Reese. "She touched a lot of people."
The intersection where Means was hit is busy and near several stores, including Cub Foods. Leaders are now calling for extra safety precautions at that area so what happened to Means doesn't happen again.
Bendson's next court appearance is set for Nov. 8.