Minneapolis hit-and-run: Driver charged with 2nd-degree murder in downtown crash

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A 22-year-old driver is facing several felony charges in connection to the Minneapolis hit-and-run that left a teenager dead and several others injured. 

"Our office and community have seen far too many cases like this recently. We've lost too many of our family members, friends and neighbors because people made the deadly choice to get behind the wheel of a car and drive dangerously," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. 

Background 

The crash happened on the morning of Sept. 14 near 5th Street North and Hennepin Avenue. Police said the suspect was involved in a fight before getting into a vehicle, reversing, driving the wrong way and then striking a crowd of people near the sidewalk. The 22-year-old driver fled the scene and was later arrested and booked into the Hennepin County Jail. 

A 16-year-old girl injured in the collision died from her injuries at the hospital. Family members identified the victim as De’Miaya Broome, of Fridley.

Five others were also injured, including two 14-year-old girls, a 24-year-old man, and a 28-year-old man, all of whom suffered non-life-threatening injuries. As of Saturday, a 29-year-old woman was in critical condition in the hospital, according to authorities. 

The charges

Latalia Margalli, of Minneapolis, has been charged with one count of second-degree murder and five counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. 

Charges allege Margalli and her friends got into an altercation with the 16-year-old victim and her friends, which ultimately turned physical. At some point, Margalli got back into her SUV and started driving in reverse, hitting another person with the car door in the process. 

While the victim was on the ground fighting with someone, Margalli started heading the wrong way on 5th Street and "drove directly into the crowd of people, without breaking, and struck numerous people, including [the] victim," the complaint reads. 

Margalli then fled the scene but was followed by a witness, and authorities eventually took her into custody.

Charging documents say the 16-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the hospital. The other injuries ranged from bruises to broken legs and a head injury. 

What started the fight?

A witness told investigators Margalli approached a man she knew and they started to argue. A group of unknown people told her to leave the man alone, and an argument broke out, which escalated into a fight. 

The witness further claimed the other group "taunted them for leaving the fight," and someone had sprayed mace during the incident. An injured victim also reported hearing Margalli say, "I’m going to shoot you," before the collision, charges allege. 

Other recent cases 

The number of criminal vehicular homicide cases in Hennepin County has been on the rise this year. In 2023, Moriarty said her office received 13 cases, but so far in 2024, there have been 16 cases.

In recent weeks, Hennepin County prosecutors have filed higher third-degree murder charges in two cases involving deadly car crashes. 

Derrick Thompson was charged on Monday with five counts of third-degree murder for his alleged role in a Minneapolis crash that left five young women dead in June 2023. He was initially facing 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide. 

Steven Bailey is accused of killing two people and injuring nine others after plowing through the patio space at Park Tavern in St. Louis Park on Sept. 1. At the time of the crash, court records say his BAC was .325, which is four times over the legal limit.

Bailey was facing two counts of criminal vehicular homicide and nine counts of criminal vehicular operation, but he is now facing an additional two counts of third-degree murder. 

"When tragedies like this happen, our office will do its part in making sure that people who have made dangerous and deadly decisions are held accountable," said Moriarty. 

Second-degree murder vs third-degree murder

During Tuesday’s press conference, Moriarty explained her decision to charge Margalli with second-degree murder while Bailey and Thompson were charged with third-degree murder.

Moriarty explained that for a third-degree murder charge, the intent is not present. So, while it’s an intentional act to get behind the wheel, the evidence doesn’t always show that the driver intended to take somebody’s life in that particular circumstance.

The third-degree murder charge is the "highest level of recklessness or negligence" that’s available, while criminal vehicular homicide has a lesser level of gross negligence.

Meanwhile, the second-degree intentional murder charge in Margalli’s case alleges she intended to use her car to kill and injure the people that she ran into and over. 

Message to drivers 

Moriarty talked about the recent dangerous behavior drivers are displaying on the road and the consequences that come along with it. 

"People speeding… people going through stoplights. That is extremely dangerous behavior. And what I don't think people are thinking about is the potential consequences to that. There are going to be legal consequences for that… you also have to live with the fact that you’ve taken somebody’s life." 

When talking about drivers who are looking at their cell phones while on the road, Moriarty said, "Don't take that risk because, in that number of seconds, you can ruin your life by taking another's."

What's next for Margalli?

Margalli remains in custody at Hennepin County Jail. She is scheduled to make her first court appearance Wednesday afternoon. 

A second-degree assault charge carries a minimum sentence of one year, while a second-degree murder charge carries a maximum sentence of 40 years.