st. paul
St. Paul woman pleads guilty in drug-debt slaying
- Updated: September 18, 2012 - 10:36 PM
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A St. Paul woman entered a guilty plea Tuesday in connection with the killing of a man over a $12,000 drug debt.
Maria H. Luna, 48, pleaded guilty in Ramsey County District Court to aiding an offender as an accomplice after the fact in the St. Paul killing of Andrew Braun in March.
Luna went to Braun's house in the 700 block of E. Lawson Avenue on March 18 with two men, Carlos Yobani-Flores Amador, 38, and Santana M. Valdez, 36.
The men attacked Braun, 38, with hair spray, a screwdriver and other weapons, according to charges. A bloody samurai sword, bayonet and hammer were found at the scene. Luna brought two BB guns to "scare" Braun, according to court documents.
Braun died of blunt-force injuries and stab wounds.
Luna will be sentenced Nov. 17 to seven to 9¾ years in prison. She also pleaded guilty to first-degree drug possession in a 2011 case.
Amador pleaded guilty in July to second-degree murder in Braun's death. He will be sentenced Sept. 26, and faces as much as 30 years in prison.
Valdez has a pretrial hearing set for Nov. 5 and a trial scheduled for February. As a part of her plea agreement, Luna will have to testify against Valdez, her boyfriend.
CHAO XIONG
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