Minneapolis, MN
Charges: Man stole car, fatally ran over owner after dragging him down the street
A suspect has been charged after stealing a man’s car, dragging him down the street and fatally running him over in Minneapolis.
Gerald Nicolas Cepeda, 34, is facing one count of second-degree murder.
On Saturday, Minneapolis police responded to 18th Street and Chicago Avenue for a report of a man who was dragged by a car and was lying in the street.
Minneapolis police investigating fatal hit-and-run, no arrests made
Authorities found the man and provided life-saving measures, but he later died at the hospital.
According to court documents, surveillance video showed the man arriving in his white van in the area of Chicago and Franklin avenues while Cepeda was near the bus stop.
The man got out of his vehicle to talk to people on the sidewalk, which is when Cepeda ran over and jumped into the driver’s seat, the criminal complaint notes.
Court records say the man then ran back to his car and stopped Cepeda from shutting the door, but Cepeda drove away while the man was hanging onto the open door.
Cepeda drove for about two blocks, dragging the man’s body along, before quickly turning onto East 18th Street, causing the man to fall from the vehicle and be run over by the van.
Officers found the van a few blocks away with the keys still in the ignition, according to court documents.
The complaint states that witnesses on scene reported Cepeda and the man had a brief argument before Cepeda stole the car.
Cepeda was arrested on Tuesday and told authorities that he was “just playing a joke” and was going to bring the man’s vehicle back. He added that he did not know the man was killed as a result, court records note.
Court documents show that Cepeda had prior convictions for vehicle theft in 2024 and 2025.
His first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.
MINNEAPOLIS — Real Capital Solutions (RCS) has acquired 3701 Wayzata Boulevard, a 308,681-square-foot office property in the Urban West End neighborhood of Minneapolis, for $34 million. Situated on 25.8 acres overlooking Brownie and Cedar lakes, the nine-story asset is 99 percent leased and serves as the headquarters location for several companies such as Tactile Medical, SRF Consulting Group, Regis Corp. and MOBE.
Originally developed as a corporate headquarters campus for Prudential and later occupied by Target Corp., the property underwent a comprehensive renovation and repositioning in 2019. Amenities today include a fitness center, conference facilities, a golf simulator, onsite café, outdoor gathering spaces, a rooftop patio, bike storage and direct access to regional trail systems.
Big Honking Truck Parade heads to Minneapolis
A ?cavalcade of wheels? will line Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis on Thursday, July 31, for the first-ever ?Minneapolis Moves: The Big Honking Truck Parade? featuring vehicles from fire engines to snowplows.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Families can get up close to massive trucks and city vehicles as the Big Honking Truck Parade rolls back through Minneapolis on Thursday.
Big trucks take over Nicollet Mall
What we know:
The “Minneapolis Moves: The Big Honking Truck Parade” is set to line downtown with municipal, public safety, construction and big-wheel trucks in an effort to bring families together and highlight the people and equipment that keep the city running.
The event begins at 5 p.m. with a local vendor market featuring crafts and food. A parade then starts at 5:30 p.m., traveling down Nicollet Mall from East Grant Street to South Sixth Street.
Mayor Frey during the 2025 Big Honking Truck Parade. Credit: City of Minneapolis (Supplied)
Dig deeper:
The parade is said to feature City of Minneapolis cars, police and fire trucks, construction vehicles, semitrailers and more from local businesses and operators.
Two Minnesota Special Olympics athletes, Dequan Williams of Minneapolis and Niko Lichtscheidl of St. Francis will serve as grand marshals of the parade, ahead of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games which officially kick off in Minnesota on Saturday.
After the parade, all vehicles will be parked along the Mall until 8 p.m. for a “touch-a-truck” experience, giving families a chance to explore the trucks up close.
According to officials, the parade route will:
- Begin at East Grant Street
- Travel down Nicollet Mall
- End at South Sixth Street
Hoping to expand upon its first year in 2025, the parade is said to feature City of Minneapolis cars, police and fire trucks, construction vehicles, semitrailers and more from local businesses and operators.
What they’re saying:
“The Big Honkin’ Truck Parade is one of those uniquely Minneapolis events that brings families together while showcasing the people and equipment that serve our city every day,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a press release. “It’s fun, it’s educational, and it’s a great reminder of all the work happening behind the scenes to keep Minneapolis running.”
The Source: Information provided by a City of Minneapolis press release.
-
Arizona3 minutes agoNew tractors help University of Arizona modernize farming in Yuma
-
Arkansas10 minutes agoAuthorities report 2 Tulsa residents found dead in Arkansas from apparent murder-suicide
-
California13 minutes ago2 Northern California universities made U.S. News ‘Best Global’ list
-
Colorado18 minutes agoPikes Peak or Bust Parade canceled by organizers
-
Connecticut25 minutes agoPerson hospitalized in Westport crash that briefly closed I-95, officials say
-
Delaware28 minutes agoAll lanes open after I-69 closure in Delaware County
-
Florida33 minutes agoPilot program aims to build $200K homes in Central Florida to help low-income families buy, not rent
-
Georgia40 minutes agoGeorgia farmers on alert as New World Screwworm confirmed in Texas, New Mexico
