Charges Detail Minnesota Man’s Terrifying and Deadly Crime Spree

Willmar, MN (KROC-AM News) - Bail was set at $3.5 million today for the Minneapolis man accused of a deadly crime spree on Tuesday.

25-year-old Ameer Musa Materiyeh of Minneapolis was formally arraigned late this morning at the Kandiyohi County Courthouse in Willmar on a criminal complaint charging him with second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, and fleeing police.

The criminal complaint describes a terrifying day for law enforcement officers and the victims of a crime spree that began with a domestic disturbance in Minneapolis Tuesday afternoon. The court document indicates Minneapolis police were called to an apartment complex where Matariyeh had allegedly fired several shots from the building's top floor.

The charges state that Matariyeh was able to evade law enforcement and flee from the Twin Cities in a vehicle reported stolen in Carver County. Less than an hour later, the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office was informed that a vehicle that had been stolen at gunpoint was headed toward Willmar. The notice also included information that shots had been fired by the occupant of the stolen vehicle.

According to the court document, a number of law enforcement officers were moving to intercept the vehicle when a 911 call came in from a home near Lake Lillian where the homeowner had been shot in the chest. The criminal complaint alleges Matariyeh and the man were involved in a confrontation in front of the home when Matariyeh shot the victim and then fired multiple bullets into the home after the man fled inside.

The Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office previously indicated that 25-year-old Peter Mayerchak was hospitalized in stable condition and is expected to survive. The court document indicates he is a Correctional Officer with the McLeod County Sheriff's Office.

The criminal complaint says, following the shooting, Mayariyeh sped away from the property in the direction of Willmar. The law enforcement officers pursuing him indicated that he hit speeds of around 130 mph before the vehicle's ONSTAR system was used to disable it just south of Willmar shortly before 2:30 PM.

The charges allege that Matariyeh was then able to use the disabled vehicle to crash into the back of a smaller pickup truck as law enforcement officers were approaching him. The court document says officers witnessed Matariyeh getting out of the stolen vehicle, approaching the pickup, and shooting the driver in an apparent attempted carjacking.

The driver of the pickup, identified as 55-year-old Jerome Skluzacek of New London, suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head.

According to the criminal complaint, Mataeriyeh then attempted to flee on foot, but was apprehended a short time later. The court document states that he made references to "cop by suicide," and made comments about wanting to die and how he was going to kill himself because a girl had cheated on him.

His next court appearance has been scheduled for late November.

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