Jurors in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis have convicted two men for their involvement in multiple carjackings across the city. The trial concluded with guilty verdicts against Quinn Turner and Jaylen Mays, who were charged with stealing vehicles at gunpoint.
The evidence presented during the trial revealed that on November 11, 2022, Turner and Mays forcibly took a 2007 Chevrolet Impala. Two days later, they stole a 2017 GMC Terrain under similar circumstances. Additionally, Mays was involved in another incident on November 5, 2022, where a 2015 Malibu was taken at gunpoint in downtown St. Louis.
The stolen Malibu was driven by Turner to a gas station located at Russell Boulevard and South 7th Street in the Soulard neighborhood, accompanied by Mays and a juvenile passenger. At this location, the GMC Terrain was also taken. Detectives from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's Anti-Crime Task Force used spike strips to intercept the Malibu as it left the gas station and apprehended Turner, Mays, and the juvenile.
Turner, aged 22, and Mays, aged 27—both residents of East St. Louis, Illinois—were each found guilty of two counts of carjacking with intent to cause death or serious bodily harm and two charges related to possession and brandishing of a firearm during a violent crime. Additionally, Mays faced an extra carjacking charge.
The trial commenced on Monday with sentencing scheduled for June 18. Carjacking charges could result in penalties of up to 15 years imprisonment while firearm-related charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years.
The investigation into these crimes was conducted by both the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Martin and Jennifer Szczucinski are leading the prosecution efforts.
