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Man robbed at gunpoint, left locked in trunk of car

A north Minneapolis man's ordeal has alarmed his neighbors, who will discuss crime at a meeting Wednesday.

By GAIL ROSENBLUM and JIM ADAMS, Star Tribune

Last update: January 21, 2008 - 11:18 PM

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NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING

What: Regular monthly meeting of residents of north Minneapolis' Victory neighborhood.

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Where: St. John Missionary Baptist Church, 4301 Thomas Av. N., Minneapolis.

Topic: Because of a recent spate of robberies and other crime, including Joel Ganley's abduction, two officers from the Fourth Precinct will attend the meeting to address concerns, said Matt Massman, a member of the Victory Neighborhood Association board.

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Joel Ganley knew it could be worse.

"They could have been planning my funeral," said the 53-year-old husband and father from north Minneapolis' Victory neighborhood. Instead, Ganley has been telling the story of how he was abducted at gunpoint from his alley Thursday night and thrown into a car trunk, where he was rescued by police about 2 1/2 hours later.

His story, along with those of other unwelcome incidents in his neighborhood, has alarmed residents, who will be talking about crime at their monthly meeting Wednesday night.

Ganley, an equipment operator at Xcel Energy's northeast Minneapolis power plant, had a few beers with a buddy after work and arrived home in the 4000 block of Xerxes Avenue N. just before 8:30 p.m. He turned down his alley and pulled into his drive.

Two unfamiliar men driving down the alley caught his eye. They backed up behind his truck and got out, acting strangely.

One asked for directions "and said he was drunk," Ganley said. "Then he pulled out a gun."

Ganley tried to back up; the guy grabbed him and demanded his car keys. He unlocked Ganley's truck and told him to scoot over.

"I had to climb over the console to get to the other side," Ganley said. The other man got in the back seat, and they drove off.

They stopped at the end of the alley and, Ganley said, "I figured, I'm done."

Thinking he had nothing to lose, when the driver put his gun on his lap, Ganley grabbed for it. But the man in the back seat stuck his gun in Ganley's ear, and then the man in the front seat put his gun against Ganley's forehead, demanding money.

"I threw my wallet at him; I threw my cell phone at him," Ganley said.

They drove back to the pair's car (which was stolen) in the alley, took a Christmas tree out of its trunk and told Hanley to get in.

"I climbed in," he said. "I heard my truck take off and this car take off; I figured they were going to fill this car full of holes."

No more than five minutes later, he sensed that he had been abandoned. "I waited a couple of minutes, then started beating on the trunk lid," he said.

He used a belt buckle to beat on the latch trying to get it to pop open. He was dressed warmly, but had no gloves. "I was beyond mad," he said.

He ripped the car speaker out of the rear seat dashboard, and after beating at the trunk lock about two hours, saw someone shining a flashlight in the back window. He yelled:

"Hey! Call the cops! I'm locked in the trunk."

The car had been left in Robbinsdale. Police responded and got him out. When they saw blood on his face, they called paramedics. The blood was from his hands, cut while trying to escape; he had then rubbed his face with them.

"I looked worse than what I was," he said.

One suspect arrested

Police said Monday that one suspect has been arrested; they are still looking for the other man. Minneapolis police spokesman Jesse Garcia said the kidnapping doesn't appear to be related to the beating and robbery of Hennepin County Commissioner Mike Opat in his driveway a few blocks away in Robbinsdale in November. And Robbinsdale police say they don't believe there's any link to a Jan. 1 slaying during a home invasion in their town.

Ganley is grateful to the Robbinsdale police and to a young Minneapolis officer who he said "talked to me, he kept me down to earth."

He's had to cancel all his credit cards and get a new driver's license. Big deal, he said.

While in the trunk, he said, "I said my prayers. I can't describe what I was thinking."

grosenblum@startribune.com • 612-673-7350 jadams@startribune.com • 612-673-7658

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