A Saint Cloud man pulled a man from his rental car and threw him to the ground after taking the vehicle at a gas station, prosecutors say.

Joshua Harley Thompson, 39, faces a charge of first-degree carjacking in Stearns County District Court. The charge was filed October 5.

According to the complaint, law enforcement was dispatched at about 9:15 a.m. on Sunday, September 20, 2026, to a business in Saint Cloud after the victim reported his rental vehicle had been taken. The victim told officers he had just finished filling the car with gas when a male jumped into the driver’s seat. The victim said he jumped into the rear passenger seat as the male drove off with him still inside.

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The complaint states the victim repeatedly asked the male to stop and let him out. The victim said he opened the rear window and began yelling for help. The male then stopped the vehicle, pulled the victim out through the open window and threw him to the ground, causing abrasions to the victim’s knees, before driving away.

On September 22, an officer reviewed surveillance video from the business and observed conduct consistent with the victim’s account. A photograph of the male was distributed. Two days later, the rental car was found in Saint Cloud, Benton County.

On October 4, an officer saw Joshua Harley Thompson walking in Saint Cloud. According to the complaint, the officer observed that Thompson was wearing the same boots as the individual seen in the surveillance footage and matched the build, facial features and tattoo placement observed in the video. Thompson denied involvement in the carjacking, the complaint says.

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Jurisdictional Context

Stearns County encompasses Saint Cloud and is the largest county in central Minnesota. The Stearns County Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions through the Seventh Judicial District at the Stearns County Courthouse in Saint Cloud.