The Hennepin County Attorney's Office is announcing criminal charges against the woman involved in a deadly hit-and-run over the weekend in downtown Minneapolis.
The office charging 22-year old Latalia Margalli with one count of second degree murder and five counts of second degree assault after she allegedly drove her car into a crowd of people following a verbal altercation. 16-year old De’Miaya Broome was killed in the incident.
Hennepin Country Attorney Mary Moriarty says her team is working hard to hold Margali accountable.
“This was a devastating crime,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. “Ms. Margalli’s life-altering decision to drive her car into a group of people has left De’Miaya’s family with an enormous void. No outcome will ever bring back De’Miaya, who loved art and dreamed of becoming a nurse. However, we will seek accountability for her death in a way that protects our community from further dangerous behavior.”
On Saturday, shortly after midnight, Minneapolis police were dispatched to the area of 5th and Hennepin on reports of a hit-and-run. They found multiple people with injuries.
According to the the attorney's office, before the hit-and-run, Margalli and her friends were involved in a verbal altercation with the 16-year-old victim and her friends. According to witnesses and surveillance video, the altercation turned physical.
Margalli got into her SUV when she knocked her would-be passenger to the ground with the open passenger door. Seconds later, Margalli accelerated going the wrong way on 5th Street directly toward the fight and surrounding crowd.
Margalli drove directly into the crowd of people without braking, and struck numerous people, including De’Miaya.
Margalli then fled the scene. Police were able to locate her SUV shortly after, with help from a witness who followed her. De’Miaya was declared dead at the hospital. The injuries of the other five people who were hurt range from bruises to broken legs and a head injury.
This comes just two weeks after another deadly case of vehicular homicide at Park Tavern in St Louis Park that killed two and injured several others. That incident was the result of drunk driving.