Two juveniles charged in attempted robbery, murder

Two juveniles have been charged by juvenile petition in an attempted carjacking that resulted in the shooting death of the driver, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

Jered Ohsman, 16, of Coon Rapids, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, one with intent, the other without intent but while committing the crime of aggravated robbery in the death of 39-year-old Steven Markey of Maple Grove. The county attorney’s office filed a motion to certify him as an adult which means he would be prosecuted in adult court instead of juvenile court. Under the law, the presumption is that the judge will grant that motion.

A 15-year-old boy was charged in juvenile court in the case. The county attorney’s office also filed a motion to have him certified as an adult. However, because he is under 16, it will be up to the judge to decide and the county attorney’s office is not permitted to provide the public additional information about the case.

“These two juveniles committed at least two crimes that day and because of excellent investigations by Minneapolis and New Hope Police departments, these two youths were arrested and currently face charges in the juvenile court system,” Deputy Hennepin County Attorney David Brown said.

According to the juvenile petition filed against Ohsman, Markey was in his car, parked near the intersection of 14th Avenue NE and Tyler Street NE about 4:50 p.m. on June 11. The two juveniles saw him there and decided to rob him and steal his car. Ohsman had a .22 caliber Ruger semi-automatic pistol and the other boy had a 9 mm Glock semi-automatic pistol. Both pulled bandanas over their faces.

Ohsman told police that he ordered Markey to get out of the car but Ohsman saw Markey reach for something so he shot him, the petition states. More shots were fired, Markey drove away but eventually crashed into a building and died from multiple gunshot wounds.

The two juveniles ran through alleyways behind buildings on Tyler Street. They hid their backpack under some stairs, but police eventually found it and the Ruger and Glock were recovered inside it, according to the petition.

Sometime after 8 p.m. that night, a Honda CRV was stolen from in front of a home on 28th Street in St. Louis Park, according to a second petition against Ohsman. A few hours later, at 2:25 a.m. June 12, New Hope police were called to a cell phone store where a burglary was in progress.

Officers arrived and saw someone dressed in black run from the business and jump into the front passenger side of the Honda CRV. The car sped off, the police pursued and about one mile later, the car turned onto the on-ramp for U.S. 169 North but the driver lost control and crashed through a chain link fence, according to the petition.

The 15-year-old and Ohsman were arrested and Ohsman was charged with third-degree burglary, motor vehicle theft and fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle for the offenses that occurred after the murder.

Juvenile Murder Petition (PDF)

Juvenile Burglary Petition (PDF)