A brutal late-night carjacking in Minneapolis' South Uptown neighborhood has ended with a long stint in federal prison. Havion Eddie Amaru Holmes has been sentenced to 7.5 years - 90 months - in federal custody for his role in an armed carjacking last August that left a couple badly injured inside their parked SUV.
Prosecutors say Holmes admitted he aided and abetted the violent ambush, where attackers pistol-whipped both victims before crashing the stolen vehicle just a few blocks away. Holmes was arrested after fleeing the wreck; the second suspect is still on the loose.
Federal Case, Plea, and Sentence
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota announced that Holmes received a 90-month federal sentence after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting carjacking, according to KIMT. U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen was named in the announcement.
Federal court records in Case No. 24-cr-296 show the matter moving through pretrial motions late last year, with filings listing the assistant U.S. attorneys and the Federal Defender appointed to represent Holmes, per govinfo.gov.
How Investigators Say the Ambush Unfolded
According to police and court records, Holmes and another man walked up to a parked SUV in the 3500 block of Aldrich Avenue S., where a woman and a man were sitting late at night, the Star Tribune reported.
Prosecutors say the pair forced the male victim to the ground and pistol-whipped both him and the woman, leaving her with a concussion and a bloody nose. Officers spotted the stolen SUV minutes later; it blew through a red light and crashed near 31st Street W and Bryant Avenue S. Holmes allegedly ran from the crash but was taken into custody, while his accomplice got away.
Evidence Recovered and Victims' Injuries
Officers recovered two handguns at the crash scene, and prosecutors say ballistic testing tied them to the weapons used in the attack, according to court materials. Investigators also found a tool and a screwdriver on Holmes at the time of his arrest, per the same filings.
The male victim was struck in the neck and back, and both victims needed medical treatment for their injuries, according to reporting and the court records.
Federal Push on Violent Carjackings
The District of Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office has been leaning hard on federal charges in a series of violent carjacking cases, arguing that armed attacks causing serious injuries warrant stiffer federal penalties and resources. Prior press releases from the office detail multiple armed-carjacking prosecutions and prison terms in the Twin Cities under federal statutes, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Holmes is now serving his 90-month sentence. Authorities say the other suspect in the South Uptown carjacking remains under investigation, and officials have urged anyone with information to contact Minneapolis police.
