Man Charged In Hit-And-Run That Killed Family Of 3
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Bloomington man has been charged with slamming a stolen car into a family of three, as a trooper tried to pull him over. A mother and her two children died.
Rufus Onel Victor, 29, has been charged with three counts of criminal vehicular homicide and three counts of fleeing authorities. All six counts are felonies.
According to the criminal complaint, a State Patrol trooper witnessed a car driving erratically on Interstate 94 around 12:30 a.m. Sunday. When the vehicle exited on Dowling Avenue, the trooper put on his lights and attempted to stop the vehicle.
The vehicle did not stop, turned right on Washington Avenue and accelerated up to at least 90 mph, according to court documents.
The vehicle went through another red light at Second Street North and Broadway when it hit another vehicle that was in the middle of the intersection.
The driver of the vehicle that was hit, 29-year-old Amanda Thomas, and her 12-year-old son Andre, were pronounced dead at the scene. Thomas' 3-month-old son, AJ, was transported to the hospital where he died. The family of three was heading home from a Hanukkah celebration.
The driver of the fleeing vehicle fled the scene. A short time later, authorities observed a man matching his description near the scene. He told police he just happened to be in the area, smoking crack at the nearby railroad tracks.
When officers arrested the man, identified as Victor, he denied being involved in the crash.
According to court documents, when officers told Victor he was being arrested for criminal vehicular homicide, Victor began to "yell and ask many questions." When told at least two people were killed, Victor said "sir, kill me," "I don't deserve to live," "tell them I am sorry, I love them," "I did it and I tried to lie my way out of it."
Victor was in jail just last week for stealing a car. His sister told WCCO Radio he never intended to hurt anyone.
If convicted, Victor could face up to 150 years in prison.
WCCO-TV's Esme Murphy Reports
