Two Minneapolis Men Indicted for Armed Carjacking, Kidnapping

MINNEAPOLIS (WJON News) -- Two young men from Minneapolis are facing charges after a terrifying incident that lasted for several hours.

According to the criminal complaint, on Valentine's Day of this year, a man called 911 to report he was the victim of a kidnapping and robbery after trying to buy a cell phone.

The victim said he had made arrangements over Facebook Marketplace with the meeting to take place in Columbia Heights. When he arrived he was approached by two men who pointed a gun at him. They allegedly ordered him into the backseat and then drove a few blocks and picked up a third person. They held him at gunpoint for several hours and demanded that he give up his cell phone, wallet, credit cards, and banking information. At one point he was struck in the face with the gun.

Eventually, they dropped him off on a road in St. Paul and drove away with his car. Officers were able to use the location of the victim's stolen cell phone to track down the suspects.

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They've been identified as 18-year-old Jamal Funchess and 21-year-old T'Shawn Palton, along with a juvenile.

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