A 16-year-old Minnesota teen is facing life in prison after he allegedly stole a vehicle and intentionally ran over a 70-year-old pedestrian, killing him.
Law enforcement responded to reports of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle on the evening of April 21, according to a Monday press release from the St. Cloud Police Department (SCPD). Upon arriving at the scene, police found 70-year-old Norbert John Olmscheid unresponsive. Though life-savings measures were performed, Olmscheid ultimately succumbed to his injuries after being transported to a nearby hospital, the statement continues. The driver, a 16-year-old boy, allegedly fled from the scene but was soon apprehended by officers.
A preliminary investigation revealed the teenaged suspect had stolen the vehicle not far from the site where Olmscheid was struck, according to the press release. The teen admitted to officers he was “listening to a song about murder” before spotting Olmscheid walking on a sidewalk and that he “decided to run him over,” KARE11 reported, citing court documents.
The teen then allegedly drove slowly behind Olmscheid before accelerating and striking the 70-year-old man. (RELATED: Police Say Pedestrian Killed In ‘Intentional’ Car Crash)
Media release from the Stearns County Attorney’s Office reference the recent homicide. pic.twitter.com/JzTAU9Uvr6
— SCPD (@StCloudPDMN) April 24, 2023
The teen was brought to the Stearns County Jail before being moved to a secure juvenile detention center, where he was initially held on charges of second-degree murder, according to the SCPD press release. Those charges were elevated and the teen was formally charged by complaint with murder in the first degree (premeditated) and murder in the second degree (intentional), according to a release from the Stearns County Attorney’s Office.
“As Murder in the First Degree requires a sentence of life imprisonment, a grand jury must then be convened to determine whether the evidence is sufficient to indict the defendant for Murder in the First Degree and related charges,” the release reads. Provisions within the Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure and the Minnesota Rules of Juvenile Delinquency Procedures allow the state to charge 16- or 17-year-olds with first-degree murder, according to the statement.
The teen’s bail was set at $2 million without conditions and $1 million with conditions.