A Minnesota woman who was charged with intentionally driving her SUV into a crowd, killing one of them, has pleaded guilty.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced that Latalia Margalli, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree unintentional murder and five counts of second-degree assault. According to court records, Margalli entered her plea on Tuesday and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24.
The conviction came months after the September 2024 incident in which Margalli and her victims engaged in a physical altercation, including 16-year-old De’Miaya Broome, who died as a result of Margalli’s actions.
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According to a criminal complaint obtained by KMSP, a local Fox affiliate, Margalli was involved in a fight with a group of people early on September 14, 2024. Broome was among the group, which included two 14-year-old girls, a 24-year-old man, a 28-year-old man, and a 29-year-old woman. The altercation escalated and eventually turned physical.
Margalli eventually left and got into her SUV. However, rather than fleeing the scene, police said she turned her vehicle the wrong way and “drove directly into the crowd of people, without [braking], and struck numerous people, including [the] victim,” according to the complaint.
The incident was captured on camera. At the time, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said in a press conference that the video was “absolutely horrific,” adding, “There aren’t words to describe how tragic and senseless it is to lose a 16-year-old female over something like this.”
According to the complaint, the five surviving victims suffered a variety of injuries, including bruises and broken bones. One victim sustained a head injury.
In her statement, Hennepin County State Attorney Mary Moriarty stated, “De’Miaya dreamed of becoming a nurse. Not only did her family lose a loved one, but our community lost someone who wanted to help others.” She went on to say, “Ms. Margalli made a terrible decision that day, and it changed many lives. This guilty plea opens the door to a lengthy sentence that holds Ms. Margalli accountable and safeguards our community.”
The Hennepin County State Attorney’s Office intends to seek a 285-month sentence (nearly 24 years) for second-degree murder and consecutive sentences for the assault charges.