A 19-year-old man is charged with first-degree aggravated robbery after he allegedly used a social media marketplace to lure a seller to a Brooklyn Park apartment complex, then robbed him at gunpoint.
Jabrell Rayshawn Brown, of New Hope, was charged last week in Hennepin County District Court with first-degree aggravated robbery.
According to the criminal complaint, the victim arrived at an apartment complex in the 5700 block of 73rd Avenue North in Brooklyn Park at about 6:55 p.m. Monday, April 6, to meet a buyer from a social media marketplace. The victim was selling two watches.
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Brown arrived in a silver SUV driven by a woman. He approached the victim and asked to see the watches. When the victim handed them over, Brown unzipped his jacket, revealing a black pistol tucked in his waistband. He told the victim not to do anything stupid, then turned and ran back to the vehicle.
On Wednesday, April 15, officers executed search warrants at residences connected to Brown and the woman who drove the SUV. Brown was not home during the search and was located through electronic home monitoring he was already on for a prior matter.
While being transported to jail, Brown asked what he was being arrested for. When told it was for aggravated robbery, Brown asked how it could be armed robbery if he “only had” a BB gun.
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In a subsequent statement, Brown allegedly admitted to committing the robbery and said he had set it up through the social media marketplace.
The charge describes the weapon as “an article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the victim to reasonably believe it to be a dangerous weapon,” consistent with Brown’s statement that the gun was a BB gun.
Brown was released April 17 on conditions including electronic monitoring, probation supervision and having no contact with the victim.
His next court appearance is set for June 4.
