East St. Louis man sentenced in 2018 carjacking that resulted in bus driver’s death
An East St. Louis man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a carjacking which led to the death of a St. Louis man in 2018.
United States District Judge Catherine D. Perry sentenced Curtis Alford, 22, in federal court for the Eastern District of Missouri Tuesday. Alford pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking that resulted in the death of Gus Gus Fun Bus Owner Michael Arnold.
According to the court, on June 16, 2018, Alford and his accomplice approached a couple in downtown St. Louis while they were putting money in a parking meter. The victims were in downtown St. Louis attending the “Taste of St. Louis” event.
Alford sprayed the man and woman with pepper spray and, after a struggle, was able to get the keys to their Ford F-150 pickup truck.
Arnold witnessed the carjacking and was in the street near scene taking pictures of the crime in progress, according to the court records.
Alford drove over Arnold, pinning him beneath the truck and dragging him across the street. The truck then jumped the curb, hit another victim who had been walking on the sidewalk and struck a fire hydrant before taking off.
Alford picked up his accomplice around the corner and continued to speed away.
A group of pedestrians and two police officers gathered near the corner of Seventh Street and Chestnut, where Alford crashed the truck and was immediately arrested, the court release stated.
Arnold suffered multiple internal injuries and died days later.
