Minneapolis man charged in 10 robberies at gunpoint within five weeks in 2021

A young Minneapolis man has been charged as an adult in a string of gunpoint robberies across the city, victimizing employees and customers in nine local businesses where prosecutors say some people quit out of fear.

Ja'Bron Dedrick Duane Jiles, 18, made his first appearance in Hennepin County District Court on Tuesday afternoon, accused of 12 felony counts of aggravated robbery and four counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.

On Monday, Jiles waived his right to juvenile proceedings for alleged crimes committed under the age of 18. Instead he was transferred to adult jail from the juvenile detention center where he's remained in custody since October 2021, when he was arrested following a string of 10 violent attacks in the span of five weeks.

Public defender Matt Elsen asked District Judge Hilary Caligiurifor Jiles to be released since he's been in custody for more than a year. Elsen said Jiles earned his GED during his incarceration.

Caligiuri congratulated Jiles on the achievement, but said she would impose a $1 million bail "due to the public safety risks I see in these complaints." Jiles remained jailed as of Wednesday afternoon.

He's accused of robbing Checkpoint Welding, Mother Earth Gardens, Tao Natural Foods Café, Cuppa Java, Bryn Mawr Market, Lustre Skin Care, DreamHaven Books, Mel-O-Glaze Bakery and a BP gas station at 6004 Penn Ave S.

"His M.O. is to terrorize numerous small-business owners and their employees," Senior Hennepin County Attorney Judith Cole said. "Some resigned jobs because they cannot go to work given the terror they've experienced in the robberies."

Cole said Jiles has been charged with over 30 cases since 2017. She said the recent cases have been pending a long time because at one point Jiles was found incompetent to stand trial, but another psychologist re-examined Jiles and found he was malingering.

For the latest string of robberies, she said that Jiles went back to at least one business twice and he "gets upset when the amount of money is not enough." At the Tao café robbery, she said Jiles is accused of telling the employee that he was staking out the business. Several of the robberies occurred the same day.

According to the complaints:

On Sept. 15, 2021, Jiles was at a friend's apartment in the 2600 block of 16th Avenue. He was joined by two accomplices with handguns demanding money from his friend. There were two other victims, and one was holding a 3-week-old baby. The robbers made off with three cellphones and $2,000 in cash.

On Sept. 28, Jiles was with another suspect when they entered Checkpoint Welding around 8 p.m. An employee was sitting in his office when they came in with guns drawn but the employee said he didn't have any cash. Jiles struck the back of his head with the handgun and stole his truck keys.

On Oct. 13, 2021, he robbed the garden store with an accomplice shortly after noon. They claimed to be getting a gift for their mom when they pulled guns on two employees and the store owner, who was hit in the head and suffered a broken nose, cheek bone and several chipped teeth.

Later at 9 p.m., Jiles and a suspect robbed Tao at gunpoint after again saying they were there to buy a gift for their mom. An employee gave them all the cash in two registers totaling $580.

On Oct. 16, Jiles robbed the gas station with two accomplices. One pointed a gun at the clerk who turned over his debit cards and an undisclosed amount of cash from the register.

On Oct. 18, Jiles robbed two Penn Avenue businesses at gunpoint, including Cuppa Java and Bryn Mawr Market around 8:30 p.m. A market employee said that a coffee shop employee ran into the market saying that they were being robbed. Jiles and an accomplice went into the market with guns while employees were calling 911.

On Oct. 20, Jiles and two accomplices robbed the skin care spa on Nicollet Avenue S. They said they were interested in buying products before making an employee lie on the floor and threatening to kill him. They stole his wallet with $150 cash, two iPads and an iPhone. Another employee was in a treatment room with a client while the robbery occurred and called 911 while locked inside.

About 20 minutes later, the three assailants robbed the bookstore. One victim was held at gunpoint and gave them $10. They stole a phone from another victim while threatening to kill her.

Later that day Jiles was arrested in the 3300 block of Irving Avenue where police had set up surveillance and executed a search warrant.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement that "We are fortunate nobody lost their lives during this deeply harmful string of armed robberies."

"Accountability through the adult system is the appropriate path here, but we desperately need secure, community-based options that will allow us to intervene more effectively with young people long before they engage in this sort of conduct."

Jiles' next court appearance is March 13.