Judge orders Minnesota man held on murder warrant

A Minnesota man arrested more than two weeks ago in North Ridgeville on a murder warrant from his home state will soon be headed back there to face charges. Melchizedek Kpaan, 25, of Maple Grove, Minnesota, waived extradition to face charges of second-degree murder and possession of a firearm following a conviction of a crime of violence, according to Lorain County Common Pleas Court records. Judge Giovanna Bremke ordered the Lorain County Sheriff's Office to hold Kpaan in the Lorain County Jail until Monday pending pickup by Minnesota authorities. Kpaan was arrested July 18 at the BP gas station at 32393 Lorain Road in North Ridgeville by North Ridgeville police and the State Highway Patrol. Shortly after 12:30 p.m. that day, troopers learned that a car with three people inside that had allegedly been involved in a murder in Minnesota was in the area. North Ridgeville police located the car, detained all three occupants and arrested Kpaan on a Minnesota murder warrant. Minneapolis TV station KSTP reported that Kpaan was wanted in connection with the July 1 shooting death of Zoe Kpanlin, 17 in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, a northern suburb of Minneapolis. KSTP reported that Zoe, who was two days shy of her 18th birthday, was shot in the chest in the 7000 block of Lakeland Avenue North in Brooklyn Park shortly before 8 p.m. July 1. She later died at a hospital, KSTP reported. Zoe wanted to be a business mogul when she grew up, the TV station reported.Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.