Two charged in man's killing at North St. Paul apartment

Two 19-year-olds have been charged with murder in the Monday fatal shooting of Anthony Rojas in North St. Paul.

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.

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.