Maple Grove Man Gets 10 Years In Carjacking Outside Cub Foods

MAPLE GROVE, MN — A Maple Grove man was sentenced last week to 121 months after carjacking two people outside a Cub Foods grocery store in Blaine.

Justin Michael Kittleson, 21, pleaded guilty in April to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

On Sept. 24, Kittleson targeted two people outside Blaine's Northtown Cub Foods while they loaded groceries into their car, authorities said.

Kittleson approached one person at the trunk of the car and pointed a gun at them, according to investigators.

The second person tried to intervene and struggled with Kittleson until a gun discharged, authorities said. The shot grazed the second person's ear, according to investigators.

Kittleson then took control of the car and drove away, authorities said.

Blaine police said they found a 9MM shell casing at the scene.

Relying on surveillance video footage and help from the public, officers identified and located Kittleson, according to investigators.

On Sept. 29, police executed a search warrant at a home linked to Kittleson and found two 9MM firearms and a hooded sweatshirt that matched the sweatshirt Kittleson was seen wearing in the surveillance footage, investigators said.