Woman admits targeting crowd in downtown Minneapolis with SUV, killing teen and injuring others

A 23-year-old woman admitted in court Tuesday that she targeted several people in downtown Minneapolis with her SUV, killing one person and injuring others.

Latalia Anjolie Margalli of Minneapolis pleaded guilty in Hennepin County District Court to one count of second-degree unintentional murder and five counts of second-degree assault in connection with her intentional act on in the early minutes of Sept. 14, 2024, that killed 16-year-old De’Miaya Broome, of Fridley.

“De’Miaya dreamt of becoming a nurse. Not only did her family lose a loved one, our community lost a person who aspired to help others,” read a statement issued late Tuesday afternoon by County Attorney Mary Moriarty. “Ms. Margalli made a terrible decision that changed many lives that day. This guilty plea provides a pathway to a lengthy sentence that holds Ms. Margalli accountable and protects our community.”

Moriarty said her office will seek a term of 23¾ years when Margalli is sentenced on June 24. If the prosecution prevails, that means she will serve roughly 14½ years in prison, with credit for time in jail since her arrest, and the balance on supervised release.

Margalli was driving at the time with a license that had been suspended because of an unpaid traffic ticket in Iowa, the state Department of Public Safety said.

Her criminal history in Minnesota dates to a juvenile case in 2020 when she admitted to fifth-degree assault against a sister. In January 2021, Margalli was charged and convicted for first-degree assault, also against a sister.

Margalli also has a history of convictions for traffic offenses in Minnesota, including several counts of driving on a revoked, suspended or nonvalid license, as well as other driving violations in Iowa and Wisconsin.

According to the charges, based on witness accounts and video:

Margalli and her friends were arguing with Broome and her friends at N. 5th Street and Hennepin Avenue. The confrontation soon turned physical, and Margalli got in the full-size SUV and started driving in reverse “in such a hurry that she knocked her passenger to the ground with the passenger door … open,” the criminal complaint read.

Seconds later, Margalli put the SUV in drive and sped the wrong way on 5th toward Broome as the teenager was on the pavement fighting with someone in Margalli’s group.

Margalli drove into the crowd without braking. She struck Broome and others.

An ally who arrived with Margalli at the intersection said Margalli encountered a male she knew and argued with him. Then a group of females told Margalli to leave the male alone. From there, fighting erupted.

Margalli went to her SUV after someone among the females released pepper spray. The females also taunted Margalli and others for leaving the fight. One of Margalli’s friends then got out of the SUV and resumed fighting. Almost immediately, Margalli plowed into the crowd and kept going until her arrest in north Minneapolis.

One of the victims told police that Margalli said, “I’m going to shoot you” before getting behind the wheel.

Police said the others injured a 29-year-old woman, two 14-year-old girls and two men, ages 24 and 28.