Ta Mla, 18, pleads guilty to role in murder of St. Paul hockey coach Michael Brasel
UPDATE (Nov. 2, 2023): Ta Mla pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree murder. What follows is a modified version of the original story.
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Ta Mla, 18, has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree murder in connection to the death of beloved youth hockey coach Michael Brasel, who was shot and killed outside his home in May.
Kle Swee, 17, was sentenced in early October to more than 25 years in prison for fatally shooting Brasel in front of his St. Paul home in May.
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Days after the shooting, Swee was charged, and additional charges were brought against Mla for his role.
Brasel was shot around 7:20 a.m. on May 6 on the 2300 block of Chilcombe Avenue in St. Paul. Brasel's son was inside the home at the time, and told police he heard his father yell "What are you doing?" before hearing gunshots. Witnesses then described seeing a black car with tinted windows and a loud exhaust speed away.
A witness in St. Anthony - about 1.5 miles from the crime scene - reported that a car with a loud exhaust had swerved into a curb and lost its bumper. He said there were at least two people in the car.
Police were able to tie the car to two prior police stops in the weeks before the shooting. Swee had been driving both times, and investigators were able to find his cellphone and execute a search warrant, which placed him on Chilcombe Avenue at the time of the shooting.
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About two-and-a-half hours after the shooting, Swee's cellphone marked him at 600 Cook Avenue in St. Paul, documents state. Video surveillance footage shows that he was on a scooter with a man, later identified as Mla. Swee's phone showed he had paid for the scooters and listed Mla as a guest.
According to the charging documents, Mla's cellphone data showed he had been with Swee since 9 p.m. the night before, and they had been together at Chilcombe Avenue.
Mla was arrested during a traffic stop on June 6. There was a .38 caliber handgun under the front passenger seat where he had been sitting at the time.
In a post-Miranda interview, Mla said he had been out with Swee to "car shop" that day, charges state. He said he was rummaging through a Ford when a "big dude" surprised him and grabbed him from behind. Mla said he then heard one or two shots before they drove off.
Mla said he didn't see Swee shoot Brasel, but eventually admitted the .38 gun was used to murder Brasel.
Documents allege that Mla asked Swee, after the shooting, what happened. Swee allegedly said "my bad, bro. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
Mla added that they had been with a third man - who he didn't identify - that day. He had been asleep in the back seat and woke up after the shooting.
Mla's sentencing hearing is set for Dec. 14.