Minneapolis carjacking turns deadly, suspect charged in van owner's killing

Michael James Walley was found unresponsive in the street in south Minneapolis after investigators say a stolen van turned a theft into a fatal encounter. Prosecutors charged Gerald Nicolas Cepeda, 34, with second-degree murder after police say Walley tried to stop the theft and was dragged, thrown and run over.

Minneapolis police said officers were sent to the 1800 block of Chicago Avenue at about 11:39 a.m. on April 11 after a report of an unresponsive man in the middle of the street. Walley, 64, was later identified as the victim. Officers later located a white van on the 1900 block of 10th Avenue South, and surveillance footage reportedly captured key parts of what happened.

The criminal complaint, as described in reporting, says Cepeda stood near a bus stop before jumping into the driver’s seat while Walley was close to the van. KARE 11 reported that Walley hung from the door as Cepeda drove away, then fell when Cepeda turned and was run over. Investigators also said Cepeda told police he was “just playing a joke,” a claim that stands in stark contrast to the fatal outcome and will likely be central to the state’s case on intent and recklessness.

Cepeda was booked in Hennepin County on April 14 and charged on April 15 with second-degree felony murder in connection with a motor-vehicle theft. The charge reflects the legal and practical reality of the case: a theft that escalated in seconds into a homicide on a busy corridor near downtown, where residents and police continue to wrestle with street-level safety and the risks of intervening in carjackings and auto thefts.

The killing has already produced a human and financial toll beyond the criminal case, with a fundraiser circulating for Walley’s family. It is also a blunt reminder of the danger in trying to stop a moving suspect by hand. In situations like this, the immediate priority is to break contact, get to safety and call police rather than confront a driver who is already in motion.