Two 19-year-olds have been charged with murder in the Monday fatal shooting of Anthony Rojas in North St. Paul.
Two charged in man's killing at North St. Paul apartment
Police said they found a bulletproof vest and a shotgun at the crime scene, and guns without serial numbers dropped a few blocks away.
June 23, 2023 at 1:14AM
Three people were arrested in total, and two received second-degree murder charges in Ramsey County: Steven Lawrence Terry of St. Paul and La Vida Rose Martinez of South St. Paul.
Police responded a little after 6 p.m. Monday to an apartment in the 2100 block of McKnight Road N. Officers found a black shotgun and a bulletproof vest in the hallway of the apartment unit, and Rojas with a gunshot wound further down the hallway, according to the criminal complaint.
Rojas, 24, was pronounced dead a little before 7 p.m.
Officers located two open and empty gun safes, a 3-D printer, a money counter, boxes of ammunition, and rifle magazines in the apartment, the complaint says. It appeared Rojas was using the 3-D printer to create handgun parts, the charges say.
A "confidential informant" told police that people who go by the names "23" and "OJ" were supposed to rob Rojas of the ghost guns, but that "23," a teenager, shot him.
The charges do not specify who police believe shot and killed Rojas.
Attorney information for the suspects was not available Thursday.
One man seen running from the apartment had a gun tucked in his waistband, and another was trying to shove a gun in his sweatshirt as he ran away, the charges say.
Martinez also ran away with the two men, and was carrying a large duffle bag, the charges say. The victim's mother later told police that Martinez was in a relationship with Rojas.
On Tuesday, police stopped an Uber that Terry had gotten into with his mother in Burnsville. Terry, who had a cast on his arm, matched the description of one of the men seen in the apartment with Rojas shortly before he was killed, the complaint says.
Officers found a handgun in a bag between Terry and his mother, Kimberly Terry. Both were arrested. Both were charged with felony possession of a gun without a serial number.
Martinez turned herself in to police on Tuesday and was arrested.
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