Carjacker who attacked Minnetonka mother and child sentenced to prison
The man responsible for a string of crimes in 2023, including the August carjacking of a mother and son in Minnetonka, has been sentenced to over five and a half years in prison.
Romell Lewis , 22, of Milwaukee, pleaded guilty on Thursday to three counts of motor vehicle theft and one count of 1st-degree aggravated robbery, and as part of a plea agreement was sentenced to 67 months in prison.
The charges stem from nine incidents from July 16 through August 30 last year. This includes a carjacking and attempted robbery of a woman and her 13-year-old son in the family's driveway on Aug. 17.
According to the complaint, the woman had just returned home on Wingwood Court at 10:50 a.m. in her SUV, which she left in the driveway. While carrying groceries into the home, she looked out the window and observed a grayish sedan pull up in front of her house.
Several men wearing hoodies pulled over their faces to conceal their identities and ran up the driveway toward her SUV. The woman exited her home through the service door into her attached garage and observed one of the men in the driver's seat of her husband's car, which was parked in the garage.
The complaint states he couldn't start the car in the garage and ran back to the suspect's car, parked in front of the home. The woman ran to the suspect's car to confront the men. At this time, two other males exited the suspect sedan and attacked her, dragging her away from the vehicle, which was captured on a neighbor's security camera.
One of the men who attacked her was later identified as Lewis. The victim yelled out to her 13-year-old son to call the police.
The boy exited the garage and onto the driveway while holding his phone. Lewis ran over to the kid, shoving him to the ground while trying to take his phone. Despite dragging the boy while trying to take the phone, he could not overpower the child.
While the two were being assaulted, another man entered the woman's car, which was still in the driveway, and backed onto the street. At this time, the remaining men ran back to the suspect's sedan and sped off, almost hitting the woman in the process.
The victims were eventually able to call the police, and officers intercepted the fleeing cars. Both vehicles fled at high speed, weaving in and out of oncoming traffic and running red lights, causing the pursuit to be terminated for public safety.
But police were able to track the woman's car 30 minutes after the attack via GPS to a Walgreens in Edina. Edina and Minnetonka officers arrived at the Walgreens, but the suspects fled again.
Before escaping, Lewis went inside Walgreens and attempted to purchase some gift cards, but was turned away. After surveillance video at the store captured a closeup of his face, a warrant was put out for Lewis's arrest. He was also a suspect in at least nine recent car thefts and burglaries throughout the Twin Cities, dating back to July 16.
Police issued a warrant for his arrest on Sept. 9, 2023, and he was arrested by Minnetonka police ten days later.
"Mr. Lewis' actions require accountability, and today's sentence delivers it," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. "These were brazen incidents that could have had tragic outcomes; the community will be protected from Mr. Lewis."
