MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis police say a 17-year-old who they considered a well-known carjacking suspect is in custody after he was arrested Wednesday afternoon driving a stolen car with a gun and an infant inside.
Dispatchers received a 911 call at 1:44 p.m. from Star Foods on the 800 block of Lowry Ave. N. The victim said his car had just been stolen at gunpoint, adding that the suspect brought an infant with him and placed the child in the backseat before driving away.
The Hennepin County Sheriff Office’s Violent Offender Task Force responded to the call, made a traffic stop near the carjacking scene, and arrested the teen suspect. Police say the infant was not in a car seat when the suspect was pulled over.
MPD has submitted the case to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office for charging consideration.
KARE 11 News is not naming the suspect because he is still a juvenile and has not yet been charged in this case. But police sources tell reporter Lou Raguse that the boy - who turns 18 in August - is considered a "prolific" carjacker in Minneapolis.
The teen has been involved in 14 cases involving robberies, auto thefts, and firearm possession, according to Minneapolis police.
Just one month ago, the teen was charged in juvenile court in a separate incident for possessing a machine gun kit and committing a crime while wearing a bulletproof vest, with prosecutors adding an additional gun charge.
According to the juvenile petition in that case, the teen was stopped at 3 a.m. on March 18 for driving without headlights. Minneapolis Police searched the SUV after observing an open container of marijuana in plain view.
Court documents say during the search, police found:
- A loaded Glock 9mm handgun with a full-auto "switch" under the teen's seat (along with photos on the teen's phone with him holding the gun.)
- A 50-round drum magazine for the Glock (with the teen's fingerprints on it)
- A backpack with a professional locksmith tool used to clone key fobs for vehicles (which had been stolen from a locksmith who was robbed at gunpoint).
- A bag of unbranded key fobs.
- An open bottle of tequila.
In addition, police say the teen was wearing a bulletproof vest, which he claimed was due to his gang affiliation and needing protection from rival street gangs.
KARE 11 News is still looking into the reasons the teen was not held in custody following that arrest.
This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.
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