A South Saint Paul man faces a first-degree aggravated robbery charge after allegedly threatening a landscaper with a baseball bat and taking equipment from a work truck in downtown Saint Paul on Sept. 17. The charges against Demetrius Dexter Linton, 38, are allegations, not findings of guilt. MN CRIME’s account of the charging documents says the encounter occurred near Wacouta and Eighth streets; a leaf blower and two batteries were taken.
What the robbery charge means
The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $35,000 fine, or both. Under Minnesota law, first-degree aggravated robbery applies when a person committing a robbery is armed with a dangerous weapon—or an article used in a way that would lead the victim reasonably to believe it is one—or inflicts bodily harm. That definition explains the charge’s legal seriousness; it does not establish that the alleged threat occurred or that the elements have been proved.
According to the charging account, the landscaper said the man displayed a bat before taking the equipment. An officer later located a man carrying a leaf blower, and the man allegedly fled on a bicycle before being apprehended. Police recovered the blower, which the landscaper identified as his, but did not find the bat, the account says. Linton is also charged with threats of violence and fleeing an officer without a motor vehicle.
Separate allegations involve a BB gun and suspected drugs
The account says officers found a handgun-style BB gun and suspected drugs in Linton’s backpack. Minnesota law separately makes it a gross misdemeanor to carry a BB gun, rifle or shotgun on or about a person in a public place, according to the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.
The suspected substance reportedly weighed 0.30 grams and produced a positive presumptive field test for methamphetamine. That result should not be treated as laboratory confirmation: the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says further examinations are used to confirm the presence or absence of controlled substances after preliminary screening. Linton is also charged with fifth-degree drug possession.
The fleeing allegation is distinct from the robbery charge. Minnesota Statutes section 609.487 defines a misdemeanor for attempting to evade an officer by running, hiding or other non-vehicle means for specified purposes, including avoiding arrest, detention or investigation. The charge itself does not resolve whether those legal requirements are met in this case.
