A 48-year-old was leaving a St. Paul bar near West Seventh Street this past June when he noticed someone walking toward him. A second later, he felt a crushing blow to his head.
The next thing he knew, he was on the ground with a group of young men surrounding him, the 48-year-old later told police. They dragged him to the side of Schneider’s Carpet One Floor and Home and searched his pockets before taking turns kicking and punching him as he lay on the ground.
The 48-year-old lost consciousness and woke up hours later bleeding and alone.
He managed to get into his car and drive himself to the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis. Doctors told him he had a concussion and other injuries consistent with being hit with a brick.
That’s the account outlined in a criminal complaint filed Thursday in Ramsey County District Court.
Deandray Artez Easley of Minneapolis faces two counts of first-degree aggravated robbery for his involvement in the attack, according to the criminal complaint.
The robbery took place the same day authorities say Easley and three others raped two teenage girls on Harriet Island, legal documents say.
The robbery victim led police to Easley after seeing the 19-year-old’s picture in a Pioneer Press article about the sexual assault.
He told officers he recognized him as the person he saw walking toward him June 5 as he walked to his car after leaving Skarda’s Bar, charges say.
It was while he watched Easley that he said someone hit him in the head, according to the complaint.
He said Easley also was among the group that robbed and beat him after he fell to the ground, charges say.
In addition to that attack and the sexual assault, Easley is suspected in another aggravated robbery this past May. He pleaded not guilty to those charges in August. He also pleaded not guilty to aggravated robbery charges in his pending sexual assault case.
No attorney was listed for Easley in court records for his latest case.
