Charges: Armed carjacker twice terrorized Twin Cities drivers, made escape from capture

A Minneapolis man has been charged with violent armed carjackings twice earlier this winter while eluding capture by law enforcement until his arrest late last month.

Donovan Goodman, 33, was charged in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis last week with carjacking and being a felon in possession of a gun in connection with his alleged crimes on Jan. 30 and Feb. 25.

Goodman appeared in court Friday and has another hearing scheduled for Wednesday. In the meantime, he remains in federal custody without bail. Court records do not list an attorney for him.

"This is a snapshot of the violent acts we are seeing in the Twin Cities on a regular basis," U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said in a statement released by his office, "The full force of the U.S. Attorney's Office is focused on reducing the levels of violent crime, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring swift and certain accountability to violent criminals."

During the Jan. 30 incident, according to the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, a pit bull puppy was thrown from the pickup during the chase and shivered for hours in subzero weather until deputies rescued it from a snowy freeway embankment the next morning.

According to the criminal complaint:

Shortly before 11 p.m. on Jan. 30, a Ramsey County sheriff's deputy in Little Canada attempted to stop a speeding pickup truck being driven by Goodman that law enforcement later determined to be stolen. Goodman fled while driving in wrong lanes and speeding.

Officers used their vehicles in a colliding maneuver and brought the pickup to a halt. Two people got out and fled. Goodman ran and leaped over a median barrier of Interstate 694, approached a stopped westbound vehicle and carjacked it at gunpoint. The vehicle was equipped with a dash camera, and its recording was later recovered as part of the investigation.

About 4:20 a.m. on Feb. 25, police in Minneapolis moved in on a stolen vehicle in a parking lot. Goodman and another male who were standing near the vehicle ran off.

Officers gave chase, and one of them used a Taser to send Goodman to the ground. Goodman rolled over and pointed a handgun with a red laser light at the officer, who quickly took cover. Again, Goodman ran from the scene.

Soon after, a man flagged down law enforcement and reported being carjacked while working as an Uber driver. He said he just picked up two passengers in downtown Minneapolis, where Goodman approached and offered the occupants $100 to share the ride.

One of the occupants agreed and opened the door. Once inside, Goodman drew his gun with the red laser, pointed it at the back of the driver's head and ordered everyone out of the car. The three exited, and Goodman drove away.

Later that same day, police in St. Paul used data tracking information from Goodman's cellphone to trace him to a home in the 300 block of Burgess Street. He surrendered about an hour later.

Goodman admitted to the Uber carjacking but said the pointing of his gun at the officer was inadvertent. Police recovered the gun in the Burgess Street home.

Goodman's criminal history in Minnesota includes convictions for burglary, assault, drug dealing, auto theft and fleeing police.

"Callously putting multiple lives at risk while brandishing firearms, including at a responding law enforcement officer, it is completely unacceptable," William McCrary, special agent in charge at the St. Paul Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said in a statement. "I appreciate the swift and decisive action of the brave agents and law enforcement officers who worked tirelessly to take this man into custody and prevent further danger to the public."