Charges Detail Night of Terror For Minneapolis Crime Victim
Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News) - Conditional bail has been set at $300,000 for a Minneapolis man charged with kidnapping, assault, and robbery for allegedly putting another man through a terrifying ordeal in what can only be described as a bizarre criminal case.
According to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, 31-year-old Desmond Graham is accused of abducting another man who had gone into downtown Minneapolis on the night of March 10th to meet a coworker. The criminal complaint says the victim stopped his vehicle near the light rail tracks to check on a strange noise and when he got out Graham and two other men forced him into the backseat of his own car.
The victim reported he was driven to an abandoned gas station across Chicago Avenue from the site where George Floyd was killed and was held hostage inside the building while Graham and the two accomplices demanded money from him. The criminal charges allege the victim was beaten with various tools when he told his kidnappers he didn't have any money. It's also alleged he was tied to a piece of furniture and continued to be assaulted after he attempted to escape.
The court records say the victim eventually provided Graham and the two other men with his debit card and bank account login information. One of the suspects was captured on a bank security camera video withdrawing $1000 in cash from the victim's bank just before 1:30 in the morning on March 11th. Additional money was withdrawn from the victim's account just before 3 AM and this time it was Graham who was captured on an ATM security camera video.
The complaint alleges the victim was then placed back in his vehicle with Graham and one of his accomplices, who was later identified by police as Larry Mosby. The victim was told he would be released if he withdrew additional cash for his captors but he was not allowed to leave. While in his vehicle, the victim told police Graham and Mosby were using drugs and Mosby passed out and became unresponsive.
He described seeing Graham beating up Mosby in an attempt to revive him before driving back to the abandoned gas station. After reentering the building, the victim said Graham lit Mosby on fire in hopes of resuscitating him but then put out the flames and poured alcohol on the other man's burns. Minneapolis police officers later found Mosby dead at the gas station.
The victim indicated he was able to escape a short time later and ran to a nearby grocery store with Graham in pursuit. The police report on the incident says an employee of the business called 911 and officers responded to the store, where they found the victim suffering from numerous injuries.
Investigators had the victim participate in a photo lineup, during which he identified Graham as one of his assailants. Graham was apprehended on Monday and the arresting officers found him wearing the same jacket he had on when he was seen on the ATM security video withdrawing the victim's money.
He is due back in court in late April.