Minnesota Man Kidnapped & Robbed Victim, Then Lit His Accomplice On Fire
It's one of those headlines that seems made up, but unfortunately is not. A Minneapolis man has been accused of kidnapping and robbing a man, then lighting his accomplice on fire.
According to KSTP, Minneapolis police were called to the area of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue where officers met a man who explained that he’d been carjacked, kidnapped and robbed the night before.
The criminal complaint states the man was meeting a coworker downtown when he heard a strange noise coming from his vehicle. So naturally, the man pulled over to check on it and that's when three people forced him into the back of his car and took his keys. The victim said he was then taken to an abandoned gas station.
Once inside the abandon business, the man said the trio demanded money before hitting him with a hammer and screwdriver, and then tied him to a piece of furniture. How frightening, and I can't imagine the thoughts that went through the man's head while all this was happening.
The man didn't have money on him so he gave the trio his online banking information and debit card. Two of the suspects each withdrew $1,000 from the man's account before the trio took him to his bank in the morning. The told him they would release him if he withdrew another $1,000. According to the complaint, the victim complied but wasn't released. Instead, the suspects drove around Minneapolis using narcotics, until one of the accomplices became unconscious.
Allegedly, one of the suspects named Desmond Graham tried to beat the accomplice awake in the vehicle. When the accomplice didn't wake, they drove back to the abandoned gas station where Graham lit the accomplice on fire. Police later found the accomplice deceased with burns to his chest at the abandoned gas station.
That's when the victim took his chance and ran. He ran to a nearby grocery store where employees called 911. Graham followed the victim into the store where employees recognized him as a former employee. Graham then fled before officers arrived. However, he was found and arrested later.
When police talked to Graham, he initially denied everything before beginning to admit to pieces of the incident. Honestly, I feel like I'm reading a crazy movie idea the longer this story goes on. When officers left the interview room, the complaint states that Graham ripped the panic button and thermostat off the wall, before pulling out a pill, crushing it and snorting it. Of course all of that was caught on camera. Graham also has prior aggravated robbery convictions from 2010 and 2012, and was out on bail for an aggravated robbery when this incident occurred.
The complaint also notes the victim had a fractured nose, cut lip, knuckles and ear, several facial bruises, hemorrhages to his eyes, scalp hematomas, and abrasions to his back, shoulder and knees.
Thankfully the victim survived this horrific incident and I could not even imagine.