First Degree Murder Charges Filed in Fatal Hit and Run

(KNSI) — The teenager accused of intentionally running down a 70-year-old man Friday night in St. Cloud has been charged with first degree premeditated murder and intentional second degree murder.

Sixteen-year-old Israel Muyaya Madimba appeared in district court Monday. According to the criminal complaint, Madimba admitted to stealing a car after finding the key in a locker. He said as he was driving, he saw Norbert Olmscheid on a walking path and decided to drive up behind him and run him over. Madimba called 911 and admitted what he did, and told investigators he had been listening to a song about murder before the crash.

Prosecutors say they can charge a 16 or 17-year-old with first degree murder under the Minnesota Rules of Juvenile Delinquency Procedures directly in District Court, which “has original and exclusive jurisdiction over such offenders when charged with such an offense.” A first degree murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence, so a grand jury must then be convened to determine whether or not to hand down an indictment. Those proceedings will be held “in accordance with relevant provisions of the Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure and related statutes.”

Judge Kris Davick-Halfen set bail at $2,000,000 unconditional or $1,000,000 with conditions. Madimba has been ordered to undergo a mental evaluation to determine if he is fit to stand trial or was not responsible at the time of the alleged offense because of mental illness or developmental disability. Criminal proceedings are suspended until the exam takes place.

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