On or about September 24, 2025, around 6:50 P.M., West St. Paul Police Officers responded to a robbery report near a gas station, located in the City of West St. Paul, Dakota County, MN. The Victim reported to a 911 operator that he was robbed at gunpoint by three male suspects, one male wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and two other males wearing black hooded sweatshirts. One of these males was later identified as Willie James Williams Jr., born on [DOB REDACTED]. The Victim provided a statement to law enforcement that he was at a fast-food restaurant around 6:15 P.M. When he was approached by two of the male suspects.
He purchased food for the suspects because he thought they were homeless. The Victim [NAME REDACTED] went to a nearby gas station. As he was walking near the gas station, he heard the individuals yell at him. At this point he noted three individuals approached him and said multiple times “Whatcha got?” The Victim [NAME REDACTED] one of the males was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with shoulder length dreads and pointed a black handgun to his left shoulder and took his wallet from his left pants pocket.
The Victim [NAME REDACTED] individual took his black wallet, which contained $500 in cash, his ID, credit cards, and insurance card. Law enforcement later obtained surveillance video from the restaurant. On the video, the Victim is seen speaking with two of the individuals. Mr. Williams is also seen on surveillance footage with shoulder length dreads and a black beanie with headphones. The other individual in a black sweatshirt has a noticeably different haircut. The male individuals were identified as being at the same restaurant the following day around 5:45 P.M. And leaving in a black vehicle.
Law enforcement agencies responded to the area and executed a high-risk traffic stop on the suspect vehicle. Mr. Williams was ordered out of the vehicle and apprehended. Officers compared surveillance footage from the prior day and noted that Mr. Williams was wearing a beanie and headphones on his head similar to the prior day. Also during this arrest, the third individual was apprehended wearing the same clothing from the prior day’s surveillance footage: a black hooded sweatshirt with white stripes on the sleeves different from Mr. Williams sweathshirt.
Mr. Williams was found with over $700 in cash in his wallet. Officers recovered two loaded firearms from an orange backpack inside the suspect vehicle. One of the firearms had an extended magazine containing twenty-two rounds of ammunition.
