On January 1, 2026, an officer with the Inver Grove Heights Police Department was dispatched to meet with a reporting party at the St. Paul Police Department regarding the theft of a handgun. The officer met with K. L. F., an adult woman who is fully identified in police reports. K. L. F. Reported to the officer that an acquaintance of hers, Justin Kariakis Valencia (DOB: 03-15- 1988), hereinafter “Defendant,” had spent the night at her residence, which is located on Ashley Lane in the city of Inver Grove Heights, which is within Dakota County, on December 23, 2025. K. L. F. Reported that several days later; while cleaning her apartment, she located a firearm in her apartment, which she now had in her possession.
She indicated to the officer that she suspected Defendant had left it in her apartment as no one else who had come to her apartment would have done so. She also reported that the firearm did not belong to her and that a handgun that she kept in the apartment was also now missing. An officer called the firearm from K. L. F. And identified it as a CZ Scorpion EVO 3S1 Carbine 9mm with the serial number D249222. The firearm had previously been reported stolen to the South Saint Paul Police Department.
The firearm was subsequently swabbed for DNA. Defendant was also located, and a DNA sample was collected from him pursuant to a search warrant. The DNA swab from the firearm and Defendant’s DNA sample were both tested by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (“BCA”). The DNA swab was interpreted as a mixture originating from five individuals; however, the BCA’s statistical calculation supported the inclusion of Defendant’s DNA in the DNA mixture. Furthermore, the BCA found that the probability of observing the DNA profile that was found on the swab was 1,800 times more likely if Defendant and four unknown, unrelated individuals were sources, than if five unknown unrelated individuals were sources.
Officers subsequently conducted a phone dump of K. L. F.’s phone and observed text messages between Defendant and K. L. F., indicating that K. L. F. Had in fact purchased a firearm for Defendant and had provided it to him. The messages also show the two discussing exchanging firearms, in which Defendant states, “Shorty ill have u bring my s*** now n take ur heat I got another,” as well as, “U bought me a gun,” in addition to, “Ur dumb ass fresh off work CRACC of dawn harassing me b**** u gave me the gun to use,” 2 19HA-CR-26-568 Filed in District Court State of Minnesota 4/21/2026 and “We not meeting pull up drop my heat take urs keep pushing.” “Heat,” is understood to be a colloquial term for a firearm.
Defendant was previously convicted of Aggravated Robbery – 1st Degree (Aid/ Abet) and Assault – 2nd Degree – Dangerous Weapon in Court File No. 62-CR-15-9313 and is thus ineligible to possess a firearm.
