A 48-year-old man is charged with robbing a mechanic at knifepoint after a dispute over a vehicle repair, leaving the victim with a laceration to his neck.
The attack happened around 12:15 p.m. Wednesday at a Minneapolis auto shop.
Lazaro Antonio Trujillo Hernandez, of Saint Paul, is charged in Hennepin County with first-degree aggravated robbery and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, according to the criminal complaint.
Trujillo Hernandez had brought a vehicle to the shop for repairs but was unhappy with the cost and quality of the work, according to the complaint. He initially demanded the mechanic address his concerns, and when the mechanic refused, Trujillo Hernandez returned and waited for him. When the mechanic came out, Trujillo Hernandez allegedly struck him in the face and body with closed fists.
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He then slammed the mechanic against a white Chrysler Town and Country van bearing a Minnesota license plate and pressed a knife to the mechanic’s throat with enough force to cause a laceration to his neck. He demanded money, prompting the mechanic to call his spouse and transfer about $900 to Trujillo Hernandez through an electronic finance application. Trujillo Hernandez then took the mechanic’s phone and wallet before fleeing in the white van.
Later that day, a witness called authorities and said Trujillo Hernandez had shown up at his apartment covered in blood and told him he had “stabbed a mechanic.” The witness persuaded Trujillo Hernandez to turn himself in, and Trujillo Hernandez called police and was taken into custody at a nearby public space without incident. The witness told officers that Trujillo Hernandez removed bloody clothes at his residence. Officers spotted the same white van nearby.
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In a post-Miranda interview, Trujillo Hernandez admitted returning to the auto shop to get his money back. He said when the mechanic refused, he assaulted him with his hands and then demanded his money “with the knife.” He acknowledged using the knife to intimidate the mechanic into complying with his demands and said he may have “scratched” the victim but did not intend to stab him. He also admitted chasing the mechanic with the knife and fleeing once bystanders noticed the confrontation.
Security footage corroborated the mechanic’s account. Video showed Trujillo Hernandez removing a knife from the white van, striking the mechanic in the face, rummaging through his pockets, pressing the knife against the mechanic’s neck with visible pressure, enough to cause a depression of the skin, and forcing the mechanic to sit in the van.
The video also showed Trujillo Hernandez striking the mechanic additional times, waving the knife near the mechanic’s body and blocking the mechanic’s exit from the van. The assault lasted about 10 minutes.
Trujillo Hernandez remains in custody. First-degree aggravated robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $35,000 fine. His next court appearance is set for May 8.
