Ramsey County court records show prosecutors have dropped second-degree murder charges against a St. Paul woman due to “insufficient evidence.”
LaVida Rose Martinez was charged with murder after admitting to police that she had been near the scene of an incident in which another man died.
As part of their investigation, police arrested multiple other people and recovered several guns.
Three people charged with North St. Paul murder
Authorities report that Anthony R. Rojas (24 years old) was shot dead near an apartment located at 2145 North McKnight Road, North St. Paul on 19th June just after 6pm. The manner of death is ruled to be homicide.
Rojas was found lying on the ground with a bullet wound in his head by the officers when they entered the apartment. Court documents stated that he was declared dead at the scene. In the same hallway, a shotgun and bulletproof vest was found.
Court officials reported that officers found in the apartment two gun safes which were open and empty, a 3-D printer, money counters, rifle magazines, and boxes of ammunition. Investigators believe Rojas made lower receivers for handguns using the 3D-printer.
Rojas had also posted a photo of thousands of dollars of cash around 12 hours before his death, but the money wasn’t found in the apartment.
During their investigation, the police reportedly recovered around 20 guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
In less than 10 minutes following a report of a shooting, someone called 911 to say that a youngster had dropped two bags containing handguns on a building just a few streets from the apartment in which Rojas died. In one of the bags, officers found a gun with a magazine that had ammunition in it but didn’t have a round in its chamber. Court documents stated that there was also blood on the grip.
Police were told by neighbors that Rojas appeared to have been partying before his death. Just before the shooting two men approached the group as they were arguing outside the apartment. Rojas then asked what the group was doing. The neighbors heard a loud gunshot.
A woman knocked on the door of the apartment, and someone shouted, “He was already dead,” the complaint said.
Several people with large dufflebags were seen fleeing the apartment after the shooting.
Rojas’ mother identified one of the women who was with her son before his death as Martinez. Martinez and Rojas dated, according to the mother.
Rojas’ mother also described two men who were with her son; they matched the description of those who fled after the shooting.
Steven Terry was one of the men that fled the scene after the shooting. Officers monitored him and saw that he got into an Uber along with Kimberly Terry, his mother.
In a bag that was between them, the officers found a pistol without a serial. The ghost guns found at the crime scene matched this gun. Kimberly Terry said the gun belonged to her.
Steven Terry told investigators that Martinez brought him to Rojas’ apartment and was feeding him pills, causing him to have a panic attack because he didn’t like how the other men were looking at him. He claimed that he left afterward and didn’t know about the shooting.
Martinez turned herself in later to law enforcement. She told police she was out during the shooting, and when she noticed Rojas’ gunshot wound she immediately went to see him. She claimed she didn’t know if he had been shot by someone or shot himself. She fled the scene.
Investigators have determined that there is no danger to the public.
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