A 47-year-old man is facing criminal charges after New Brighton police say a woman's report of threatening text messages and a photo of a handgun led investigators to a loaded firearm hidden in her own car — with a child nearby when officers made the arrest. Paris Dajon Allen now faces two counts of possessing a firearm or ammunition after a conviction for a crime of violence and one count of threats of violence, according to the charges filed in the case.
The charges against Allen were filed in Ramsey County District Court on Wednesday, according to MN Crime. The case traces back to the previous Sunday, when New Brighton police responded to an apartment building on 10th Street Northwest after the victim reported receiving threatening text messages from Allen, per the criminal complaint described by the outlet.
Threatening Texts and a Photo of a Gun
According to the complaint, the messages Allen sent included threats and a photograph of a black handgun resting on a person's lap, with the person pictured wearing black jeans. One of the messages reportedly included a threat of violence along with a reference to making the news. The victim told police she feared for her safety and said Allen had a key to her apartment, where he stayed occasionally but did not live, the complaint states.
Allen left the apartment in the victim's black Dodge Charger, prompting police to place an alert on the vehicle, according to the complaint. The following day, detectives received an alert that the Dodge Charger was traveling east on County Road E2.
Arrest Came With a Child in the Car
Detectives found the Dodge Charger unoccupied and illegally parked at the apartment building, and the victim reported that Allen was at her door trying to enter, possibly with a four-year-old child, according to the complaint relayed by the same outlet. Officers then saw Allen walking toward the Dodge Charger with the child before he got into the driver's seat; officers placed the child in the rear passenger seat before arresting Allen.
Detectives searching the car found a loaded black Taurus PT140 G2 .40-caliber handgun hidden under the front passenger seat, the complaint says. The victim confirmed she was the registered owner of the Dodge Charger.
Allen's Statements to Detectives
After being advised of his rights, Allen told a detective that he was a level 3 offender and was not supposed to possess a firearm, according to the account reported by MN Crime. He acknowledged sending the victim a message about rape but claimed she misunderstood it, and he admitted sending a text threatening to kick down her door, saying he was frustrated and trying to scare her, per the same account.
Allen initially told investigators the gun in the photo was fake and that he had purchased fake firearms online, but he later admitted knowing the firearm was real. He went on to confirm that the gun found in the Dodge Charger was the same one he had photographed and sent to the victim, and he said his DNA would be on the weapon, the outlet reported. Allen also acknowledged he was not supposed to possess a firearm, citing what the complaint describes as a prior felony conviction.
What the Charges Carry
Minnesota law on threats of violence allows for a sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both, for a person who threatens, directly or indirectly, to commit a crime of violence with the intent to terrorize or in reckless disregard of that risk, according to Minnesota Revisor of Statutes. A separate statutory excerpt addressing firearm possession after a conviction for a crime of violence describes a lifetime prohibition that applies to offenders discharged from sentence or court supervision on or after August 1, 1993, per the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.
