Dakota County attorney charges 5 in drive-by shooting that injured 2

Five people were charged Thursday in connection with a South St. Paul drive-by shooting that injured two people earlier this week, said Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom.

Authorities say an ongoing argument among former friends led to escalating violence Monday night when a sport-utility vehicle slowly approached a residential street and one or more passengers fired several shots, striking two people. The victims were hospitalized with noncritical injuries.

"This was a violent crime which easily could have taken a life," Backstrom said in a statement. "We are thankful that no deaths occurred and that no other individuals were injured in this incident."

Erik Dontez Poe, 18, of Burnsville; Juan Carlos Rojas, 19, of Inver Grove Heights; Cheridan Bree Redmond, 19, of Inver Grove Heights; Sopearvy Ogbondah Michelle Sam-Farrow, 18, of West St. Paul; and her father, Tyrone Lamar Farrow, 37, of Big Lake, all face one count each of drive-by shooting and assault with a deadly weapon.

According to the criminal complaint:

South St. Paul Police responded to the 900 block of Warner Avenue just before 10 p.m. Monday night on a report that a woman had received threatening text messages, which mentioned a gun. As the officer approached the woman's home, he noticed a dark colored SUV slowly roll past the property.

He heard rapid gunfire and saw several flashes of light emanating from the vehicle's passenger side before it raced off to a nearby cul-de-sac, where two men fled on foot. One man, later identified as Farrow, remained in the back seat.

The conflict had begun two days earlier, when Sam-Farrow and Redmond visited the female victim's home to buy marijuana, the charges say. While there, the women got in an argument, and Redmond got punched in the face.

Sam-Farrow and Redmond returned Monday and tensions flared again. This time, Sam-Farrow got hit in the face. She called her father and boyfriend, then returned home.

A few hours later, one of the victims told police she spotted Sam-Farrow's sedan drive past the residence with her lights off, then stick out her arm and point to the home. A trailing dark-colored SUV drove by and someone inside fired several rounds. The two victims each suffered injuries from bird shot consistent with a shotgun round; 9mm shell casings were also found outside the home.