Minneapolis Man Charged With Killing 1, Attempting To Kill Another Using Dead Man's Car
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Minneapolis man has been charged in connection to two shootings over the course of a week in the metro area, according to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office.
On Monday, 19-year-old Christopher Malik Todd was charged with one county of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Ronald Junior Smith of St. Cloud. Then he was charged Tuesday with one count of second-degree attempted murder in a drive-by shooting.
If convicted of both crimes, Todd could face a maximum of 60 years in prison.
According to criminal complaints, Smith was found dead at about 6 p.m. on Aug. 14 in the lower level of a downtown Minneapolis hotel parking ramp on the 400 block of 7th Street East. Authorities said the victim died of a gunshot wound to the head.
Police had surveillance footage of Smith with an unidentified man in the parking ramp shortly before the murder.
On Aug. 20, police were interviewing a possible witness in a St. Paul murder when Minneapolis investigators showed the witness the surveillance photo. The witness identified the man as "Criddy," which is Todd's alleged street name, the complaint states.
While being interviewed, investigators asked Todd about Smith's murder. Todd said that he was in the front passenger seat of Smith's Charger and Smith was in the driver's seat.
Todd told investigators that he saw a white Dodge Challenger arrive, and motioned to the victim to duck as the shooter shot through Smith's window striking him in the head.
Todd said after Smith was shot, he was so overcome by emotion that he cried and then removed Smith from the driver's seat and put him onto the ramp floor, according to the complaint. Todd then drove off in Smith's car.
Investigators determined the murder could not have happened the way Todd described.
On Aug. 21, Todd and his 23-year-old brother, Zeontae Todd, met with 31-year-old Maurice June at a gas station. They asked June if he had a driver's license and when he said yes, they gave him the keys to the Charger and told him to drive all of them to a funeral at Hillside Cemetery in St. Anthony, according to the criminal complaints.
At about 3:15 p.m., while at the cemetery, someone in the car thought he recognized a member of the Native Mob gang in a Jeep. June drove the vehicle by the Jeep and Christopher Todd, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, fired several shots at the Jeep, the complaint states.
They later found out it was not a gang member, but an agent from the Minnesota Department of Corrections Fugitive Apprehension Unit who was conducting surveillance at the funeral.
The officer chased the vehicle and found the Charger crashed at the intersection of Stinson Boulevard and 39th Avenue East. June and Zeontae Todd were quickly caught and arrested.
A Minneapolis K-9 was brought to the scene and tracked Christopher Todd to a nearby apartment building, where he was sitting on a patio, according to the complaint. Police also found a semi-automatic handgun in the grass near the building.
June was charged with attempted second-degree murder by drive-by shooting and could face a maximum of 40 years in prison. Zeontae Todd was charged with aiding an offender, accomplice after the fact.
Todd has been been ordered to remain behind bars, and his bail has been set at $1 million.
