Teen Found Guilty Of Assault, Robbery In Brutal St. Paul Beating
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A jury found a 17-year-old boy guilty of taking part in the brutal beating of a St. Paul man last August that left the victim bloodied on the street with severe head injuries, the Ramsey County Attorney's Office says.
Cindarion De'Angelo Butler, of St. Paul, was 16 at the time of the beating, but he was tried as an adult. The jury found him guilty of first-degree assault and first-degree aggravated robbery in connection to the Aug. 4 beating that left 27-year-old Raymond Widstrand with injuries that required reconstructive head surgery.
On the night of the beating, police found Widstrand lying on Payne Avenue with blood coming from his nose and mouth, a criminal complaint said. Witnesses told officers that a group of people attacked Widstrand when he walked by a fight taking place between some women.
The jury found aggravating factors in the guilty counts, but they did not find Butler guilty of two crime for the benefit of a gang charges.
"Tonight's verdict is a small measure of justice for the victim who was brutally beaten and left for dead on the streets of St. Paul's East Side," said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi on Tuesday. "We look forward to the sentencing phase of this case as well as any additional hearings in connection with this horrific incident."
Butler is slated to be sentenced on March 25.
Last October, a 15-year-old boy was sentenced to two years in a juvenile facility after admitting to taking part in the beating.
Another 15-year-old faces an adult certification hearing Wednesday in juvenile court. He faces the same charges Butler did.
