Accused Minnetonka carjacker faces 9 more felony counts in other thefts, burglaries

A 21-year-old Minneapolis man already accused in a Minnetonka carjacking now stands accused of a string of auto thefts throughout the west metro this summer.

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office filed nine additional felony charges Tuesday against Romell Roshode Lewis, who remains jailed and is scheduled to appear in court Monday. County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement that the additional charges — eight counts of theft and one of first-degree burglary — were possible because of collaboration between her office and the law enforcement jurisdictions involved in the investigations. Lewis, who also resides in Milwaukee, was initially charged last month with three felonies — carjacking, aggravated robbery and burglary— in the Aug. 17 attack at a Minnetonka home that spurred community outcry over public safety.

Four suspects were involved in that carjacking. Lewis and Derek Sincere Holmes, 18, have since been charged, while the office hasn't identified or charged other suspects. Holmes, charged Friday with first-degree carjacking and burglary, also is a suspect in other car thefts and burglaries throughout the Twin Cities.

As for Lewis, prosecutors have accused him of six vehicle thefts and a purse theft in Edina and two vehicle thefts in Minnetonka in the span of roughly six weeks until his arrest Sept. 19.

In all thefts, Lewis' cellphone GPS location data tracks him near the time and place of the crime and where the stolen vehicle was recovered in the Twin Cities or Milwaukee. In many of the thefts, victims admitted to leaving keys in their vehicle.

Moriarty said while no weapons were involved, "these were brazen incidents, any of which could have turned violent if an unsuspecting homeowner happened upon Mr. Lewis, like what happened in Minnetonka Aug. 17 when a homeowner and her son were assaulted."

According to the amended criminal complaint:

Then on Aug. 2, 5 and 6, three Edina residents reported their luxury vehicles stolen.

A Minnetonka woman said her Mercedes sedan was stolen Aug. 16, and it was later found at a hotel in Greenfield, Wisc. Authorities say its the same sedan Lewis and the other suspects used Aug. 17 during the Minnetonka carjacking on Wingwood Court.

In that incident, a woman was carrying groceries inside when the four suspects tried stealing her husband's car in the garage. As she confronted them, Lewis and Holmes allegedly attacked her and Lewis shoved her 13-year-old son to the ground and struggled to take his phone. Police said another suspect drove away in the victim's car at high speed, while Holmes jumped into the driver's seat of the sedan and drove away.

About 50 minutes before the carjacking, Lewis is accused of stealing a purse out of an Edina woman's vehicle parked in her Wooddale Avenue garage.

Lewis is accused of continuing his crime spree with the theft of two vehicles from one Minnetonka home on Pine Island Road: A woman reported her Lexus and Mazda stolen the morning of Aug. 18.

On Aug. 26, an Edina man reported his Audi sedan stolen out of his garage on Kelsey Terrace. Two men were caught on a neighbor's security camera pulling up in a white Audi SUV. That same day the white Audi SUV was reported stolen out of Plymouth.

On Aug. 30, another Edina man had his Ford Expedition stolen from Mirror Lakes Drive. He saw the white Audi speed off along with the Ford, which was later recovered in Minneapolis.