Two men have been charged with murder after a September assault at a St. Paul light-rail station caused a 68-year-old man to die of a blood clot, charges say.
Shawn Delaine Bellazan Jr., 19, and Cavis Deandre Adams, 21, both of St. Paul, were charged via warrant Wednesday with one count of second-degree unintentional murder as well as one count of aggravated robbery in the man’s death, according to criminal complaints filed against them in Ramsey County District Court.
Police responded to the Robert Street Green Line station at 9:45 a.m. Sept. 8 and found the man lying unconscious. Witnesses told officers they saw two men fleeing from the area, the charges say.
Surveillance video captured an altercation that broke out on the platform in the moments leading up to the police call.
In it, the victim, identified as Gebremedhin A. Tela, is seen approaching Bellazan and Adams and apparently asking them to make change for him, the criminal complaint says.
Adams is shown handing Tela back “one crumpled bill” before putting the man’s money in his pants pocket, the charges say.
Apparently upset that he was shorted on the change, Tela starts reaching toward Adams’ pocket and is heard saying, “Give me my ten dollars,” the complaint says.
Adams and Bellazar are then shown boarding a train, followed by Tela, who subsequently grabs Adams’ shirt as he continues to demand his money back
Bellazan intervenes and tells the man to “chill” and to let go of Adams’ shirt, according to the charges. At some point, Tela strikes Bellazan and pushes him away.
Bellazan then proceeds to punch Tela repeatedly in the face and head “at least 11 times” while Adams holds him, according to the charges.
Then Bellazan grabs Tela’s cellphone and he and Adams run off the train, according to the charges. The man follows and grabs Adams’ shirt again as the three are back on the platform.
At that point, Adams is seen on video punching Tela in the face, causing him to hit his head on a pole and fall to the ground unconscious, the complaint says.
Tela was taken to Regions Hospital to be treated for a laceration to his head and possible brain injury. Although he was discharged the next morning, he returned to the hospital Sept. 12 for problems with headaches, lightheadedness and blurred vision he experienced after the attack.
Tela died later that day of a blood clot that traveled from a leg to his lungs, the complaint says.
In addition to the cut to his head, the Ramsey County medical examiner determined Tela experienced bleeding in his brain as well as multiple rib fractures.
Tela’s manner of death was ruled a homicide.
Adams and Bellazan are currently serving time in prison for an aggravated robbery incident last March. In that case, they robbed a man at the Green Line Rice Street station after one of them struck him in the head, court records say.