Man Pleads Guilty in St. Cloud Carjacking Incidents

ST. CLOUD -- A man formerly of California has pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and felony terroristic threats after police say he attempted a St. Cloud carjacking last November and then successfully stole a car days later. Nineteen-year-old Just Lopez pleaded guilty to the felony charges Thursday.

Police were called to the 800 block of McKinley Place in November when a man called to say someone had threatened to stab him if he didn't give up his car. Court records show when the car owner got out, the suspect ran off after realizing the victim was bigger than he was.

The suspect was identified as Lopez when an officer recognized the description as a man he had just brought to the hospital.  Lopez refused to give police a statement at that time.

Two days later, a man called 911 to report a young man matching Lopez' description had approached his car in an alley, pointed a gun at him and said he was taking the car. The victim gave up the car and the suspect drove away.

The next day, a woman called police to report a man had approached her in a vehicle and asked for her phone and if she wanted to get into his vehicle.

Officers found Lopez in a parking lot in the 1100 block of 7th Avenue South. Investigators say Lopez admitted another man gave him a fake gun to use to get a car to sleep in. A black BB gun pistol was found inside the car.

Lopez will be sentenced May 30th.