Edward Tiki Arrington, 45, has been charged with federal crimes following a carjacking spree in Minneapolis that resulted in the deaths of two women and serious injury to a child. The charges include one count of carjacking and one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
The incident began around 8 am on September 4, 2025, when police received reports about an armed man near 334 Lake Street East. Arrington, also known as Troy Mike Payton, was identified as the suspect. Witnesses described erratic driving before Arrington crashed his red SUV into another vehicle at an intersection.
Arrington then attempted to carjack multiple vehicles at gunpoint. He succeeded in taking a black Volkswagen Passat after threatening its driver and subsequently transferred two dogs from his original vehicle into the Passat. As he continued his flight, he fired a shot from the stolen vehicle at a passing work van.
Police issued a city-wide alert for the stolen Passat. Officers located Arrington in North Minneapolis and pursued him as he fled toward downtown. During the chase, Arrington ran a red light at Penn Avenue and Olson Memorial Boulevard and collided with a blue Ford Focus sedan. The crash killed two women in their twenties and seriously injured a six-year-old child who suffered multiple fractures and brain trauma; one of the deceased was the child's mother.
Arrington has prior convictions for assault, firearms offenses, and drug distribution dating back to 2009.
If convicted, Arrington faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison with the possibility of life imprisonment or even the death penalty due to the fatalities involved.
“Two young women should be alive today. Instead, their lives were cut short by a senseless crime committed by a career criminal,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “They deserved better. We all deserve better. I am weary of this endless violence. Minnesota deserves peace. We will keep fighting to restore it.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated: “This violent suspect had an extensive criminal history and showed a complete disregard for the value of human life...We are grateful for the partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office as we all work to ensure that he is held fully accountable and that justice is pursued for the victims and their families to the fullest extent of the law.”
FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr., commented: “Two innocent young women died yesterday, and a young child was hospitalized, due to the reckless and senseless actions of Edward Tiki Arrington, aka Troy Mike Payton...Violent carjackings have permeated Minneapolis for far too long; these federal charges represent the commitment by the FBI, our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to reduce violent crime in Minnesota...Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
The investigation was conducted by local police alongside federal agencies including the FBI and Minnesota State Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Green is prosecuting this case.
A complaint is an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
