Two juveniles in a vehicle believed to have been stolen during an armed carjacking are dead following an early Thursday crash in northeast Minneapolis following a police pursuit.
Three other juveniles who were in the black Mercedes SUV were in the hospital with "substantial but nonlife-threatening injuries" Thursday afternoon, according to a statement from Robbinsdale police.
Robbinsdale police received a report about an SUV that was taken during an armed carjacking about 6 p.m. Wednesday in the vicinity of N. 12th and Fremont avenues. At about 2 a.m. Thursday, patrol officers spotted the vehicle in the area of County Road 81 and Abbott Avenue N. in Robbinsdale.
Officers attempted a "high risk" traffic stop, but the vehicle took off, said Robbinsdale Police Chief Patrick Foley.
The vehicle went east on Lowry Avenue into northeast Minneapolis at a high speed, and 4 miles later lost control and crashed at NE. Hayes Street near Windom Park, Foley said.
The impact severed the SUV in half.
One of the juveniles was pronounced dead at the scene, Foley said. Officers administered first aid to the other four at the scene. A second juvenile later died at a hospital, he said.
Officers were not aware the suspects were juveniles when the pursuit commenced, a department spokeswoman said. The department did not say if the pursuit conformed to department policy. Police have not released the ages of those involved.
"Carjackings have been on the rise; I think everyone knows that. Even in the western suburbs we've had an increase in carjackings, violent carjackings," said Robbinsdale Police Department Capt. John Kaczmarek while briefing the media.
"We attempted to apprehend the suspects," Kaczmarek said. "It is an unfortunate ending."
The department released no other details about the pursuit, saying it is part of the investigation.
A State Patrol reconstruction team was called to the scene. Robbinsdale investigators are working with with Minneapolis Police Department and Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.
