Alexandro Perez Santiago, 20, was charged in Hennepin County District Court with first-degree aggravated robbery after a complaint filed October 30 alleged he encouraged a gunman to take a stranger’s gold necklace in Minneapolis on August 9. The complaint says the driver also tried to strike the victim with the firearm during the encounter.
The victim was walking home from work at about 8:15 p.m. when he recognized a vehicle and its two occupants, according to the complaint described by MN Crime. The victim later identified one occupant as Perez Santiago and the other as the driver, the outlet reported.
The complaint alleges the driver pointed a firearm at the victim and that Perez Santiago urged him to take the necklace. The driver took the gold chain, breaking it, according to the account.
What the Complaint Says Happened Next
The driver then tried to hit the victim with the firearm, but the complaint says the blow missed and the driver’s knuckle struck the victim’s ear. The two left in the vehicle. Later, the victim saw it pass his home and hid until it was gone. Surveillance footage supported the victim’s account, according to the complaint cited by the outlet.
Surveillance footage corroborated the victim's account, according to the complaint cited by the outlet. The charge against Perez Santiago alleges he aided and encouraged the use of a firearm to forcibly take property from the victim, per the report's search summary. Under Minnesota state law, a conviction for first-degree aggravated robbery can carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years, a fine of up to $35,000, or both.
How Minnesota Defines the Charge
Minnesota law defines first-degree aggravated robbery to include committing a robbery while armed with a dangerous weapon or inflicting bodily harm, according to the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes. A conviction can carry up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $35,000, or both. In this case, the complaint alleges Perez Santiago encouraged the driver’s use of a firearm to take the victim’s property.
Where the Case Goes Next
Hennepin County is Minnesota's most populous jurisdiction, and its county attorney's office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 44 other cities. Felony arraignments and trials in the county are heard at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis, under the Fourth Judicial District.
The robbery adds to a mixed picture of crime trends across Minneapolis this year. Robberies citywide were down about a fifth in 2026, and the number of gunshot victims had fallen roughly 22% from the previous year, according to the Star Tribune. The newspaper also reported 41 homicides through late September, down from 55 over the same stretch in 2025.
Not every category moved in the same direction. The Star Tribune reported that all larcenies rose 6% and auto thefts climbed 9% after two years of decline. Separately, KSTP reported that Minneapolis logged 404 robbery reports in the first half of 2026, down from 502 over the same period in 2025, even as aggravated assaults rose to 1,518 cases from 1,346 and rape reports increased to 252 from 214. KSTP noted that the Major Cities Chiefs Association figures behind some of these citywide tallies were preliminary and still awaiting federal verification.
