Minnesota Teen Not Charged by Progressive Prosecutor in Deadly Crash Is Accused in Stabbing

A teenager in St. Paul, Minnesota, whom a progressive prosecutor did not charge after being involved in a deadly car crash, is now charged with stabbing a man.

Eighteen-year-old Conner Michael Iversen allegedly caused a deadly crash recently, but Hennepin County District Attorney Mary Moriarty, whom voters elected after vowing to make police officers more accountable, has not yet filed charges against the young man in that case, the Daily Mail reported Tuesday.

A few days after the wreck, the suspect was allegedly involved in the stabbing. The outlet noted it was his third alleged offense committed in approximately a three-month span of time:

Moriarty, a career public defender before becoming district attorney, has faced mounting criticism for her soft-on-crime approach, often prioritizing leniency over public safety.

In a tone-deaf move, she even boldly shared a Facebook post on Monday about how prison reform equates to ‘public safety’.

The list of Iversen’s alleged crimes includes an incident in December when Iversen was accused of leading police on a reckless and high-speed chase until officers were able to stop him by using spike strips. The teenager was arrested but eventually cut loose.

He later allegedly blew through a stop sign at the intersection of County Roads 6 and 110 in Independence, smashing into an SUV that members of the Loycano family were in.

“Lilyana Loycano, 11, was critically injured and died two days later. Still, he was able to walk free,” the Mail article said.

Following her death, the child’s surviving relatives said, “We find comfort in Lilyana’s legacy soon living on through organ donation. Lilyana was the heart of our family, with a giving and generous spirit that was felt by all around her,” per a Saturday article from the Star Tribune.

A mere 48 hours after the girl died, Iversen was accused of stabbing a man in Golden Valley. A Tribune report on Monday noted the man suffered stab wounds in the back of his leg and was taken to a local hospital:

The victim also told police that he was hit in the face with a large stick, but “the item used to stab [the man] is undetermined at this time,” the criminal complaint read.

The man said he picked up Iversen from a gas station “intending to help the person out” in some manner not explained in the complaint. A cellphone found in the man’s vehicle had a home screen that identified Iversen.

Iversen was eventually located near the scene where he had allegedly broken into a maintenance building. At the time, and officers said the young man’s body was covered in scratches and blood.

Authorities are reportedly holding Iversen on $50,000 bail.

“Since taking office, Moriarty has repeatedly faced backlash for decisions that prioritize leniency over justice,” the Mail article said.

She was elected in 2023 and the Associated Press (AP) reported in July that “only 18 months after beginning her four-year term, Moriarty faces fierce backlash, even among some former supporters. Her critics have questioned her decisions to seek lighter sentences for violent crimes in some cases and to divert more people to programs rather than jail.”