A 16-year-old is accused of shooting a gas station clerk during a robbery in St. Paul over the weekend, charges say.
Jason Lee Sam III was charged Tuesday with several criminal counts in connection with the incident, including first-degree assault and first-degree aggravated robbery, according to the juvenile petition filed against him Tuesday in Ramsey County District Court.
The teen wore a mask as he pointed a gun at the gas station employee inside the SuperDay Gas Station on the corner of West Seventh and Davern streets in St. Paul Sunday evening, court records say.
When he demanded money from the clerk, the employee, fearing for his life, attempted to push Sam away from him and ran, according to statements the clerk gave police, the complaint said.
That’s when Sam fired the gun, court documents say. The employee sustained injuries to his stomach but is in stable condition.
The man who authorities say drove Sam away from the scene, Josmar Bonfil Najera, faces charges as well.
Najera, 18, is charged with two counts of aiding an offender to avoid arrest, court documents say.
A man who came in the gas station Sunday found the employee lying on the floor and called 911.
Paramedics took the clerk to Regions Hospital, where he underwent surgery.
Witnesses provided a description of a possible suspect vehicle, and video from the area showed a male wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, face mask and white T-shirt enter the store with a gun, police said. Nothing was taken from the gas station.
A short time after the shooting, officers stopped a vehicle about a mile from the gas station in the 1200 block of Homer Street that matched the description. Najera was driving the vehicle. Sam was sitting in the back seat, court documents say.
Both were arrested.
A silver magazine clip was reportedly found in Sam’s sock. When asked where the gun was, he said, “I plead the fifth,” according to the criminal complaint.
Though he initially denied any knowledge of the robbery or the shooting, Najera later admitted to police to driving Sam away from the scene and stopping so that Sam could throw away his clothes, court documents say.
Sam declined to talk to police.