Prosecutors: Crime spree preceded shooting death of 16-year-old

Four teenage boys from the east Metro have been charged for a string of offenses just before the fatal July 31 shooting of 16-year-old Lavauntai Broadbent during a robbery in a park by the Mississippi River in St. Paul.

The Ramsey County Attorney's Office is seeking to try the teenagers as adults.

Prosecutors say that Broadbent was shot and killed by a man he was trying to rob at a park off Mississippi River Boulevard and Summit Avenue in St. Paul Friday night.

But the crime spree that led up to his death started the day before when a silver sedan with two loaded guns inside was stolen on St. Paul's east side, according to the criminal complaints.

A man told police early the next morning that he'd been robbed at gunpoint on Maryland Avenue at about 4:40 a.m. Authorities say one of the teens told police that the group committed another robbery near a graveyard as well, although that crime wasn't reported to police.

That evening, Broadbent and three of his friends approached two people along Mississippi River Boulevard, intending to rob them, according to the charges.

A male victim of the robbery, identified in the complaint as K.L., told police that he'd gone to the park to view the "blue moon" and then struck up a conversation with a woman he didn't know.

K.L. said a male came over and asked to use his phone. Then another male wearing a mask approached and pointed a handgun at K.L. from about three feet away, demanding that he empty his pockets.

K.L. drew the gun he's legally permitted to carry and fired at the robber, who fell to the ground injured. Police responding to a 911 call identified the injured male as Broadbent. Paramedics called to the scene later pronounced him dead.

The woman in the park with K.L. confirmed the details of the robbery and shooting. She said K.L. fired the gun five or six times at the man holding the gun. She said K.L. tried to staunch Broadbent's bleeding using his shirt until emergency responders arrived.

The teenagers face between two and four charges ranging from aggravated robbery with a firearm to car theft.

Donte Edward Foster, 16, of Woodbury, has been charged with two counts of aggravated robbery with a firearm, one count of car theft and one count of reckless discharge of a firearm.

Malcolm James Devion Golden, 17, of St. Paul, is charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of theft of a motor vehicle.

Nautica Delshaun Cox, 16, of St. Paul, is charged with aggravated robbery for the early morning robbery on the east side of St. Paul and theft of a vehicle.

Kendell Anthony Lewis, 16, of St. Paul, is charged with two counts of aggravated robbery with a firearm, one count of vehicle theft and one charge of reckless discharge of a firearm.

All four teenagers had their first court appearances on the charges Wednesday afternoon.

Here's the order of events, alleged in the complaints against the four teenage boys:

July 30:
• Foster said he stole a silver sedan on July 30, 2015.
• Foster said that Broadbent, Golden, Lewis and Cox went to "Monument Park" in St. Paul, and that Foster and Lewis fired a gun in the air.

July 31:
• At 4:40 a.m., a St. Paul man reported his car was stolen in the previous 24 hours, with two Smith & Wesson loaded guns inside.
• At 4:50 a.m., a man at an east side Cub Foods reported an armed robbery at a nearby bus stop. The teenagers told police that Broadbent committed the robbery with Golden. Foster allegedly drove them to the crime, accompanied by Lewis and Cox.
• Cox later told police that the teenagers spent the $20 they stole in that robbery at McDonald's.
• Foster later told police he was present for a subsequent robbery near a graveyard, which was apparently not reported to police.
•About 10:30 p.m., Broadbent, allegedly accompanied by Lewis, Foster and Golden, went to Summit Avenue and Mississippi River Boulevard to commit a robbery and found two people on the river bluff near the intersection. Broadbent allegedly told his friends "let's stain them" when he saw the two potential victims.
• At 10:30 p.m., a robbery victim reported he'd shot someone. Police found Broadbent wounded, wearing a face mask and a glove. A loaded gun was found next to him. Paramedics later pronounced Broadbent dead.
• The other robbery victim, a college student and stranger to the male robbery victim, corroborated the details of the shooting.
• Lewis and Foster fled in the stolen car; Golden fled on foot.

Aug. 1
• Police stop and search the stolen vehicle, which was driven by Lewis. They seize a gun from the dashboard, and find the identification card from the victim of the previous day's robbery on the east side.

Aug. 2
• Cox admitted to attending a memorial for Broadbent at the scene of the crime. A car crashed into a monument there, and shots were fired. Police stopped a car as people fled the scene and found five people in the car, including Cox, as well as two guns.

Aug. 5
• Lewis, Golden and Foster are charged with two robberies and a car theft. Lewis and Foster also face reckless discharge of a firearm charges. Cox is charged with car theft and the east side robbery