A St. Paul man charged in a stabbing that occurred last Friday was involved in a fatal crash just two days prior that left an 11-year-old girl dead, but he apparently had not been arrested or charged related to the crash or death.
The two incidents are just the latest in an apparent string of incidents involving Conner Michael Iversen, 18, who was also jailed and charged in December with fleeing police at speeds of up to 100 mph.
A police scene was taped off in Golden Valley near Theodore Wirth Park early Friday morning for what police later stated was a stabbing. Golden Valley police said in a statement that a half-naked male had been found inside a maintenance building following the stabbing and was taken into custody for questioning. The arrested party, later identified as Iversen, was also a suspect in another burglary in Golden Valley that morning. Police said a homeowner had video evidence that showed Iversen running from house to house trying to make entry. The homeowner who had contacted police was missing an E-bike and had discovered a pair of shoes inside their home.
Regarding the stabbing, police said at the time, “Based on the information we have now, the two males got into some type of argument and the suspect began to stab the victim,” said Golden Valley Police Chief Virgil Green. “The truck they were in crashed in a wooded area, and the suspect fled into the Hidden Lakes neighborhood. Officers determined the suspect and victim were both under the influence of some type of illegal substance. It’s still early in the investigation, and currently we are not releasing the names of the suspect or victim.”
The criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court on Monday charged Iversen with third-degree assault and said the victim was stabbed in the leg with an undetermined object the victim described as a large stick. Iversen was also covered in scratches and blood at the time of his arrest. The victim told police that he had picked up a male party from a gas station that morning intending to “help the person out,” but the complaint did not give further specifics on what that entailed.
Fatal crash
Also on Friday, Iversen was named in a statement by West Hennepin Public Safety (WHPS) as the driver in a crash that had occurred two days prior on Wednesday, Feb. 26, in Independence, Minn., that left 11-year-old Lilyana Loycano of Maple Plain deceased. Loycano had been in a vehicle with her family on the way to school, when police say Iversen failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with the vehicle carrying Loycano and her family. All family members in the Loycano vehicle, including Lilyana’s mother, father and three brothers, sustained moderate to serious injures. Lilyana later succumbed to her life-threatening injuries. Friends have set up a GoFundMe in support of the Loycano family for their medical and funeral expenses that has raised $75,000 so far.
There was no indication in WHPS’s statements that Iversen had been arrested at the time of the Independence crash, and there is no corresponding booking information on the jail roster to indicate that he was. WHPS stated that the investigation was ongoing with the assistance of the Minnesota State Patrol.
Jail and court records also show Iversen was arrested on Dec. 17 and charged with felony fleeing police in Minnetrista, Minn., after allegedly driving erratically at speeds up to 100 mph before finally crashing. Following his arrest in that incident, Iversen made statements to police including, “It was just instant,” “I just hit the gas as hard as I could,” “I don’t even know why.” Iversen also told police he gets too crazy when he drives, and said it was the third vehicle he’d crashed. Iversen posted a $20,000 bond following the December arrest and was released from custody two days later.
Court and jail records show Iversen has also posted a $50,000 bond in Friday’s stabbing case and was released from custody Wednesday afternoon. Iversen is scheduled to appear in court in both cases today, March 7, at 1:30 p.m.
Alpha News will continue to follow developments on possible charges in the fatal Independence crash.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
