Crime, Law and Justice

Murder, assault charges filed against hit and run driver in Minneapolis

A memorial on the side of a downtown street
Balloons, flowers and candles line a makeshift memorial on Monday for a 16-year-old girl who was killed by a driver in downtown Minneapolis shortly after midnight on Saturday.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced murder and assault charges Tuesday against the woman suspected of driving her car into a Minneapolis crowd and killing a 16-year-old girl.

According to the charges, just after midnight on Sept. 14, Latalia Margalli, 22, left a verbal altercation that turned physical, took the wheel of her vehicle and then intentionally accelerated toward the large crowd without braking.

“It’s very clear from the video that she drove directly into a crowd of people, many of whom had their back to her, and some of whom were on the ground,” said Moriarty. ”We have charged that she intended to use her vehicle to kill the people that she ran into and over.”

De’Miaya Broome, 16, was killed. Five others were injured.

“Their injuries ranged from bumps and bruises to broken legs and a head injury,” reads the criminal complaint.

A memorial on the side of a downtown street
Balloons, flowers and candles line a makeshift memorial on Monday for a 16-year-old girl who was killed by a driver in downtown Minneapolis shortly after midnight on Saturday.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

Moriarty announced the charges on the heels of recent developments in cases involving drivers charged with crimes for their roles in fatal collisions. 

On Monday, Moriarty announced additional charges of third-degree murder against Derrick Thompson, who already faces multiple counts of criminal vehicular homicide for allegedly driving his car into another vehicle in June of 2023 with five young women killing all of them. 

Last week, Moriarty added third-degree murder charges against Steven Bailey, who already faces criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation charges for allegedly killing two people and injuring nine others at the Park Tavern restaurant. 

However, Moriarty said there is a difference between those cases and the one she announced Tuesday. 

“In this particular case, we have charged that [Margalli] intended to use her vehicle to kill the people that she ran into and over,” said Moriarty. “So the difference between third degree murder and second degree murder is intent. In third degree murder, there is no intent.”

Moriarty said so far this year, 16 criminal vehicular homicide cases have been submitted to her office. She said her office saw 13 of those cases in all of 2023.

Margalli is in custody and has a first appearance scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

A memorial on the side of a downtown street
Balloons, flowers and candles line a makeshift memorial on Monday for a 16-year-old girl who was killed by a driver in downtown Minneapolis shortly after midnight on Saturday.
Ben Hovland | MPR News