Minnesota actor, singer recovering from violent St. Paul carjacking

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - T. Mychael Rambo is a well-known actor and singer, but this weekend he’s facing a big, real-life challenge as he recovers from a vicious carjacking.

Police are looking for five suspects all between 14 and 18 years old, but so far they haven’t made any arrests in this case.

“I feel very blessed to be here and to be able to have a conversation about it,” Rambo said.

Sporting a Band-Aid covering six stitches on the back of his head, Rambo is still coming to terms with the violent turn of events that left him with a concussion.

“It was mind-boggling, disheartening, distressing and it really knocked me off my square,” he said.

Rambo said he was at a stoplight at University and Lexington Parkway in the wee hours of Sunday morning when a group of teenagers asked for a ride to the next light rail station a few blocks away.

Rambo said the five teens piled into his car, but when they got to their destination, they asked Rambo to turn down a side street and one of them pointed a gun at Rambo’s head, pistol whipped him and told him to hand over his personal possessions.

“Disbelief. Surreal. Fear. Concern for my life and I was just dazed and startled,” he said. “I didn’t expect to see it coming.”

At that point, Rambo said he jumped out of the moving car, but the teen with the gun quickly followed, along with one of the others who went through Rambo’s pockets, taking his cash and cell phone.

Rambo said the teens then jumped back into his car and drove off, leaving him dazed and disoriented in the middle of the street.

“I just needed to find help,” he said. “I was bleeding down my forehead and into my ear. [I] wanted to find where to get some assistance.”

Police recovered Rambo’s car the next day on St. Paul’s east side and it is still being processed for fingerprints.

In the meantime, the well-known actor and singer says the carjacking isn’t going to stop his work with young people he values so much.

“They need to be accountable. They need to be aware there are consequences for their behavior,” he said. “But I can’t see living in a world where I’m going to be afraid of our children, or that I don’t see the importance of helping them become the best people they can be.”