Charges: Teen driver said he listened to song about murder before he hit and killed man in St. Cloud

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.

The teen told police that he found keys in a St. Cloud YMCA locker, stole a vehicle, soon saw the man walking on the path and "decided to run him over," the charges read.

Madimba said he was driving slowly behind the man when he accelerated and hit him.

He acknowledged "listening to a song about murder and then [struck] the unsuspecting victim," the charges disclosed. Witnesses corroborated Madimba's admission.