A teenager said he listened to a song about murder shortly before he intentionally hit and killed a man on a St. Cloud sidewalk with a stolen vehicle, according to charges filed Monday.
Israel M. Madimba, 16, of neighboring Sauk Rapids, was charged in Stearns County District Court with first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree intentional murder in connection with the crash around 8 p.m. Friday on a walking path between N. 9th and 6th avenues that killed Norbert J. Olmscheid, 70, of St. Cloud.
Madimba appeared in court Monday and remains in custody in lieu of $1 million bail. A message was left with his attorney seeking a response to the allegations.
In the meantime, Judge Kris Davick-Halfen granted a defense request and ordered an examination to determine whether Madimba is sufficiently competent to be prosecuted in this case. A court filing disclosed that Madimba has "previously diagnosed mental health concerns."
Since a first-degree murder charge carries a mandatory life sentence upon conviction, a grand jury must be convened to determine whether the evidence is sufficient to indict Madimba on that count, the County Attorney's Office said in a statement late Monday afternoon.
The first-degree murder charge also precluded Madimba from being prosecuted as a juvenile, the statement continued.
According to the charges:
Madimba called 911 and said he ran over someone. Officers arrived to find Olmscheid on the ground and unresponsive. He died at St. Cloud Hospital.
