Two teens are charged in connection with an armed robbery that took place in St. Paul earlier this week. The charges come as police continue investigating an unrelated string of robberies and assaults in the city.
Shawn Larome Jordan, 16, of St. Paul, is charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated robbery and an additional count of theft for his alleged role in an incident that took place Monday, according to three juvenile petitions filed against him in Ramsey County District Court. And a 15-year-old also is charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated robbery, but his identity is protected because he’s under 16.
Police arrested the two after a report of an armed robbery at 11:12 p.m. Monday near Brimhall Street and Stanford Avenue in the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood.
An 18-year-old was walking in the area at the time when he saw two teens get out of an SUV and start walking toward him, according to authorities.
One of them — later determined to be Jordan — pulled out a black revolver, held it to the man’s ribs and said: “Show me what you got or I’m gonna cap you,” according to the petition.
The man told police he handed over his cellphone when Jordan’s 15-year-old accomplice came up behind him and said, “What you got back there?” the petition said.
The teen proceeded to take the wallet from the man’s back pocket along with his backpack, which contained his MacBook Air laptop, before both the perpetrators hopped back into the SUV — which was being driven by someone else — and took off, according to the petition.
Police recognized the description of the suspects from two robberies that took place earlier in the day that involved a stolen blue Dodge Durango, according to the petition.
Officers saw the vehicle at a gas station on Lexington Parkway and saw Jordan running from its driver’s seat, authorities say.
He was later found hiding inside a compost container and arrested. Four other teens seen walking away from the vehicle, including the 15-year-old, also were detained.
The county attorney’s office is reviewing possible charges against the other individuals, all of whom are under 16.
During an interview with police, Jordan acknowledged that he knew the Durango was stolen when he got into it but said another male, whom the teens subsequently dropped off, was the one who stole it, the petition said. He denied being involved in any robberies or possessing a gun.
The 15-year-old declined to provide a statement.
Police continue to investigate a string of other robberies and assaults that took place last week in St. Paul’s Como, Cathedral Hill, Summit Hill and Frogtown neighborhoods.
In those instances, five men between the ages of 37 and 77 were assaulted and robbed by a group of males in their teens or early 20s.
Authorities say those instances are not related to Monday’s robbery.
The Ramsey County attorney’s office is asking the court to certify Jordan to be tried as an adult on the armed robbery charges.