Murder charges were added Monday in the case against Derrick John Thompson, the son of a former St. Paul state representative accused of running a red light just off Interstate 35W in south Minneapolis last summer and crashing into a sedan, killing five young women.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said Thompson is now charged with five counts of third-degree murder, on top of the original 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide for allegedly operating a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner and leaving the scene of an accident.

County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a Monday statement that Thompson’s “lengthy record of dangerous driving, the trail of devastation he’s left in his wake, and his conduct in this case make these more serious charges appropriate.”Thompson, 28, of Brooklyn Park, is accused of driving 95 mph on I-35W in a rented Cadillac Escalade, passing a Minnesota State Trooper, exiting on Lake Street, and then running a red light at Second Avenue and crashing into the victims’ Honda Civic at a high rate of speed just after 10 p.m. June 16, 2023.

Pronounced dead at the scene were Salma Mohamed Abdikadir, 20, of St. Louis Park; Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali, 17, of Bloomington; Sahra Liban Gesaade, 20, of Brooklyn Center; Sagal Burhaan Hersi, 19, of Minneapolis, and Siham Adan Odhowa, 19, of Minneapolis. The young women had been returning from preparing for a friend’s wedding.

Thompson’s criminal record includes a 2018 California case, in which he fled from officers in a vehicle and struck a woman. She was in a coma for several weeks. He was on probation in the case at the time of the Minneapolis crash.

Monday’s amended criminal complaint includes a few new details, including a statement that a woman, identified as an “associate” of Thompson, gave to police last month. She told investigators that Thompson called her from inside a patrol car after his arrest and indicated he was going to jail for “homicide.” She said Thompson admitted to her he was listening to music and attempting to avoid another vehicle that was “on his bumper” before the crash. Thompson also admitted to hospital staff that he was the driver of the Cadillac.

Thompson, who also faces federal charges in connection with the crash, is the son of former Minnesota Rep. John Thompson, who represented St. Paul’s East Side for one term beginning in 2021. Derrick Thompson has been in federal custody at the Sherburne County Jail since Dec. 18, when he was arraigned in federal court. A jury trial in that case is scheduled for Oct. 7.

The new charges come just three weeks after prosecutors said at a court hearing that a plea deal was on the table on the criminal vehicular homicide counts: A prison term between 32½ and nearly 39 years for pleading guilty to five counts of criminal vehicular homicide for causing a collision and leaving the scene.

The prosecution said at the Aug. 26 hearing the plea offer would remain open until the next court date, which is set for Nov. 4. A trial, meanwhile, is scheduled to start Dec. 2.

Thompson’s attorney, Tyler Bliss, has not responded to a request for comment on the new charges.

Clocked at 95 mph on highway

According to the Hennepin County criminal complaint, before the trooper could catch up to Thompson’s SUV or turn on the squad’s emergency lights or sirens, Thompson “abruptly cut across all four lanes of traffic” and exited at Lake Street. Thompson drove down the exit ramp and through the intersection without stopping or slowing for the red light. The Honda had a green light and was traveling west on Lake Street.

The Cadillac “collided violently” with the Honda and “with enough force to crush” it and push the car out of the intersection and pin it against the wall of the I-35W bridge, the complaint said. The trooper immediately went to the Honda and observed all five victims had no signs of life, which EMS confirmed.

Witnesses saw the Cadillac’s driver walk or run away limping from the crash. Law enforcement found the man, identified as Thompson, sitting on the curb of a nearby Taco Bell. He was bleeding from a cut on his forehead, had blood on his hands and clothing and “was sweating profusely.”

Officers asked how he was injured and Thompson initially said, “I cut myself. This is old” and then said he fell earlier in the night.

Another witness later came forward and provided officers with cell phone video of the crash. In the video, Thompson approached the person’s car and asked for a ride.

Thompson was taken to the hospital for treatment for a broken hip. Law enforcement suspected Thompson “was under the influence of an intoxicating substance,” according to a search warrant application to draw Thompson’s blood at the hospital. Toxicology testing showed THC — the active ingredient found in marijuana — in his blood, Monday’s amended complaint says.

Law enforcement found a rental car receipt on the ground outside the Cadillac SUV and it listed the renter as Derrick Thompson. Thompson rented the vehicle from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport about 25 minutes before the crash.

In federal court, Thompson stands charged with intent to sell fentanyl and two counts related to illegal possession of a firearm. Both were allegedly found in the vehicle after the collision, and Monday’s amended complaint alleges that swab tests on the bags of narcotics, including more than 2,000 fentanyl pills, showed Thompson’s DNA on them.

If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Minnesota.

Criminal history

In the California case, Thompson fled from officers and drove 45 to 60 mph along a beach on a crowded summer day, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office. Thompson lost control of the vehicle while turning and struck a woman who was a tourist staying at a nearby house. Thompson “immediately fled the scene, while the victim fought for her life in a coma for several weeks,” the district attorney’s office wrote.

Police found 17.6 pounds of marijuana in the vehicle and more than $20,000 in cash. Though the prosecution said they requested additional time in prison, Thompson was sentenced to eight years in 2020 for evading a peace officer and causing injury, leaving the scene of an accident causing permanent injury, and possession of marijuana for sale.

Thompson received 577 days of credit for time served while awaiting trial and was eligible in prison for credit earned for good behavior, according to the California corrections department.

Minnesota court records show Thompson was convicted in May 2023 in a 2018 Little Canada case of speeding and driving after revocation of license. He previously was convicted of fleeing police in a vehicle in 2017 in St. Paul and driving after suspension in 2015 and 2016.

Thompson’s Minnesota driver’s license was revoked in 2018 after his 2017 conviction. His license was reinstated in March 2023.