Prosecutors charged a 16-year-old in a shooting outside a St. Paul recreation center, along with a vehicle theft that resulted in the death of a dog.
The German shepherd-husky mix, GoGo, was in a Subaru Outback when it was stolen in St. Paul on July 24. The vehicle was found abandoned on July 27 and the dog was dead inside.
Investigators said Tuesday they identified a 16-year-old and arrested him in connection with the auto theft and a May 20 shooting outside the Frogtown Community Center at Galtier Street and Como Avenue that injured a 14-year-old.
“Today, we learned that he pled guilty to the shooting, the motor vehicle theft and animal cruelty,” police said in a Tuesday statement. “We’re proud of the great work of everyone involved in the investigations, which were led by Sgt. Cherry. Thank you for your dedication, persistence and unwavering commitment to getting justice for crime victims.”
2 TEENS WOUNDED IN SHOOTING
After the 14-year-old was found wounded near the community center on May 20, 16-year-old Kendrich F. Washington arrived at Regions Hospital with two gunshot wounds to his calf and wouldn’t tell police how he was shot, according to a juvenile petition charging him with second-degree assault.
Investigators reviewed videos, and one showed two males at the rec center walking near the playground toward a group of five juveniles. They exchanged words and the juveniles walked away. One of the males following them — later identified as a 15-year-old — pulled out a gun and shot toward the group, striking the 14-year-old.
A male in the group that was targeted then fired gunshots toward the 15-year-old, the petition said.
“The video also showed several school age children and a few teenagers playing at the playground,” according to the petition. “These people were observed ‘scrambling’ to avoid the gunfire.”
Police arrested the 15-year-old, who told police he shot first because someone in the other group had a gun. He said he wounded the two who went to the hospital, according to the petition against Washington. The 15-year-old pleaded guilty to second-degree assault.
An investigator compared videos from the shooting scene and the hospital, and noted Washington wore the same clothing in both and believed he was the person who shot back at the 15-year-old, the petition said.
DOG DIED AFTER SUV STOLEN
Then, after Katie Klaren’s vehicle was stolen at Payne and Sims avenues on July 24, it was found in the Como neighborhood a few days later with her deceased dog inside. Police matched a fingerprint found on an inside window to Washington, according to a juvenile petition charging him with theft and animal cruelty.
Video showed someone dropping the vehicle off the night of July 24. A report by the University of Minnesota’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory noted that findings of “death by heatstroke is a diagnosis of exclusion” and GoGo likely suffered, the petition said. The high temperature that day was 92 degrees.
Police talked to Washington on Thursday about the auto theft, and he said he didn’t know anything about it and never saw the dog. When an investigator informed him about his fingerprint being found, Washington said he saw the vehicle, opened the door, but shut it and left because the dog was inside. However, video that captured the theft didn’t show anyone else approach the vehicle, the petition said.
Klaren said she’s glad that police followed through with the case, but saddened a teenager was involved.
“I just hope he turns his life around,” she said. “… We miss our dog and the whole thing is really awful to us. It doesn’t make it any better that it’s a kid that did this.”
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