A 19-year-old Saint Paul man is facing first-degree aggravated robbery and second-degree assault charges after Bloomington police say he and a second person robbed a man at gunpoint during a drug deal arranged over Snapchat, taking his backpack, punching him in the face, and firing a round into the ground as they fled.
Dononvan Denny Brito was arrested after officers executed a search warrant at a hotel room where he was believed to be staying, according to MN Crime. Officers found Brito along with a loaded Glock firearm inside the room, the outlet reports, and took a buccal swab from him for forensic testing that remains pending, per the criminal complaint.
The case began when Bloomington officers responded to a report of a shot fired at about 5 p.m., after a victim said he had arranged a drug transaction through Snapchat. According to the same account, two people got into the victim's car, pulled weapons, threatened him with death, took his backpack, and then punched him in the face before fleeing on foot. One of the two fired a round into the ground as the victim gave chase, and he stopped pursuing before calling 911, the report notes.
Snapchat Records Led Investigators to a Suspect
Police swabbed the victim's car for forensic evidence and turned to Snapchat records to identify who the victim had arranged to meet, per the outlet's reporting. That digital trail connected the account to Brito, and the victim later identified him in a photo lineup.
Snap Inc. says it may provide available account records, including basic subscriber information and IP data, to law enforcement in response to legal process under the Stored Communications Act, according to Snap Inc. During the first half of 2025, the company received more than 25,000 government information requests nationwide and produced account data in over 80 percent of cases, including a similarly high compliance rate for search warrants specifically, per Snap's own transparency data.
What Brito Could Face in Court
Under Minnesota Statute § 609.245, Subdivision 1, first-degree aggravated robbery carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $35,000, according to the Minnesota Revisor's Office. The charge applies when an offender is armed with a dangerous weapon or inflicts bodily harm during a robbery. The secondary charge, second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon under Statute § 609.222, Subdivision 1, carries up to seven years and a $14,000 fine.
Minnesota law provides mandatory minimums in some gun-involved violent felony cases, which can limit judges' discretion to depart from a prison commitment. The Fourth Judicial District, which presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis, will handle the case.
No Diversion for Gun-Related Violent Crime
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office, which handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 44 other cities, has expanded youth diversion initiatives in recent months, but that policy carves out an exception for violent felonies. Prosecutors maintain that aggravated robbery and firearm crimes remain ineligible for diversion, according to CBS News, meaning cases like Brito's proceed through formal prosecution rather than alternative programs.
Bloomington, Minnesota's fifth-largest city with an estimated population of about 89,000, sits in Hennepin County directly south of Minneapolis, according to Wikipedia.
Forensic testing on the buccal swab remains pending, and it is not yet clear what charges, if any, the second person involved in the alleged robbery may face.
