Two men armed with a handgun and a rifle robbed a man in a Saint Paul parking lot, beating him in the face and threatening to kill him if he did not hand over his watch, prosecutors say.
The robbery happened at about 5:40 p.m. on August 9, 2026, near basketball courts in a Saint Paul parking lot, according to the complaint.
Darion Donye Jones, 18, of Saint Paul, faces a charge of aiding and abetting first-degree aggravated robbery. The charge alleges he participated in a robbery where the victim was assaulted and threatened with firearms.
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According to court documents, the victim told officers he was sitting in his car when a grey Kia K5 pulled up next to him and two men got out. One man, wearing a black t-shirt and grey sweatpants, was armed with a black and brown handgun. The other, dressed in all black, carried what the victim described as a black “mini AR 15.” The men opened both doors of the victim’s car, threw something at him and demanded his watch, threatening to kill him if he did not comply.
The victim tried to drive away but was struck in the face about 30 to 40 times with the handgun. One suspect tried to remove the victim’s watch while the other poked him with the rifle and took his wallet from his pants pocket. The men then left in the Kia K5, which the victim recognized from earlier that day at a nearby market.
The victim described his stolen watch as a silver Bulova with diamonds, valued at about $7,000, and said his wallet contained his driver’s license, credit cards and at least $1,200 in cash.
Later that night, officers found the Kia K5 parked at 6th and Arcade in Saint Paul, next to a Mercury Milan occupied by three people, including Darion Donye Jones in the front passenger seat. Officers recovered a silver Bulova watch matching the victim’s description from a sweater in the back seat.
Jones had a black sweatshirt on his lap and keys to the Kia K5 on a red Nike lanyard in his lap area. Officers confirmed the keys belonged to the suspect vehicle. A search of the Mercury Milan also turned up a pink pill identified as Oxymorphone Hydrochloride, a schedule II controlled substance and multiple cell phones.
Court records state that both Jones and another man in the car matched the physical descriptions given by the victim, including their clothing and appearance. The Kia K5 was registered to an address associated with Jones, and license plate readers had previously recorded the vehicle at that location.
The charge was filed Tuesday, August 11, in Ramsey County District Court.
About This Charge
Minnesota distinguishes simple robbery (§ 609.24, up to 10 years) from aggravated robbery (§ 609.245), where a weapon or great bodily harm is alleged. First-degree aggravated robbery carries up to 20 years; second-degree up to 15. Carjacking is charged under § 609.247.
Related MN CRIME Coverage
Saint Paul Man Charged in Violent Red-Light Carjacking • 3 Indicted in Armed Robbery Spree Near State Fair • 2 Charged After Man Shot in Face During Saint Paul Robbery
Jurisdictional Context
Ramsey County encompasses Saint Paul and is served by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office. Felony cases are heard in the Second Judicial District at the Ramsey County Courthouse in downtown Saint Paul; the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office operates the Ramsey County Correctional Facility in Maplewood.
