Teens Charged In Metro Carjackings, Including In Richfield

RICHFIELD, MN — Two teens from St. Paul were each hit with more than a dozen charges related to a recent string of carjackings throughout the Twin Cities metro, including an attempted carjacking in Richfield and other cities, according to Hennepin County prosecutors.

Kashawn Wertman, 18, faces 17 charges, while Nautica Argue, 19, faces 14 charges, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office said.

Wertman and Argue are accused of committing more than 20 carjacking-related crimes from Jan. 7-17 across Hennepin County, with crimes reported in more than a dozen cities, including Richfield.

An Edina business owner stopped a carjacking on Jan. 12 after two people tried to take keys from a woman nearby, police said.

The woman was getting out of her car in the 7700 block of Computer Avenue when a man parked next to her and demanded her keys, according to police. The woman asked to get her purse and ran toward a business while being chased by a second person, police said.

The owner of a business in the area saw the woman running and chased the person back to a 2010 Chevrolet Traverse that was stolen in a carjacking in Richfield earlier that day, according to police.

The stolen car was later found in St. Louis Park.

Police allege Wertman and Argue were also responsible for carjackings in Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Louis Park, Brooklyn Center, Plymouth, Richfield, White Bear Lake, Roseville, Lakeville, Eagan, Columbia Heights, Burnsville, Woodbury and Little Canada.

Wertman and Argue were arrested Jan. 18 after Ramsey County deputies located a stolen Audi TT driven with both inside, police said. They "admitted to certain offenses" while talking to police after they were arrested, according to Hennepin County prosecutors.

Police said Wertman and Argue posted photos on social media, including some that showed them inside stolen vehicles, the Twin Cities Pioneer Press reports.

The Jan. 12 attempted carjacking was the latest in a series of similar crimes throughout the west metro area over the past two months.

Three different teens are facing charges after prosecutors alleged they were involved in attempted carjackings Dec. 9 in Edina and St. Louis Park.

A man and three teenage girls were arrested Jan. 7 after Edina police alleged they were involved in an attempted carjacking and aggravated robbery in the city earlier that day.