A Saint Paul man struck a woman in the head and forced her out of her Mercedes SUV at a busy intersection before fleeing in the stolen vehicle, prosecutors say.
Armando Cameron Crockett, 36, faces a charge of 1st-degree carjacking for using force and threatening to have a gun during the August 3 attack, according to a complaint filed Wednesday in Ramsey County District Court.
According to the complaint, officers responded to a report of a carjacking in Saint Paul just before 9 a.m. The victim, who was crying and had injuries to her head, hand and knees, told officers she had stopped her grey Mercedes SUV at a red light when a man opened the passenger door and got in. She asked him to leave, but he refused and begged her to drop him off nearby.
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When the victim declined, the man told her he had a gun and touched his waist, though she did not see a weapon. She yelled at him to get out, but he instead demanded she exit the vehicle. The man then opened the driver’s door from inside, became aggressive and struck her in the back of the head with an unknown object. He pushed her out of the SUV, climbed over to the driver’s seat and drove away.
Multiple witnesses at the scene corroborated the victim’s account. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage and learned that Crockett had arrived in the area by metro transit bus. Before targeting the victim, Crockett had tried to get into other vehicles or flagged them down.
While officers were still at the scene, they learned the stolen Mercedes had been involved in a hit-and-run crash, leaving behind its front bumper and license plate. A short time later, officers found the vehicle and pursued it as it fled through the city and onto the highway. The pursuit continued until the vehicle crossed into Wisconsin, where deputies from Ramsey County and St. Croix County joined the search.
The chase ended in Wisconsin, where Crockett fled on foot but was apprehended by St. Croix County deputies. Deputies recovered a cell phone along the path where Crockett ran but did not find a firearm. Crockett declined to give a statement to investigators.
The complaint notes Crockett has prior convictions for threats of violence, stalking, violation of a domestic abuse no contact order and harassment.
Crockett was being held in the St. Croix County Jail when the charge was filed Wednesday in Ramsey County District Court.
About This Charge
Minnesota distinguishes simple robbery (§ 609.24, up to 10 years) from aggravated robbery (§ 609.245), where a weapon or great bodily harm is alleged. First-degree aggravated robbery carries up to 20 years; second-degree up to 15. Carjacking is charged under § 609.247.
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Jurisdictional Context
Ramsey County encompasses Saint Paul and is served by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office. Felony cases are heard in the Second Judicial District at the Ramsey County Courthouse in downtown Saint Paul; the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office operates the Ramsey County Correctional Facility in Maplewood.
