Teen Sentenced After Admitting To Taking Part In Brutal Beating
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 15-year-old boy has been sentenced to nearly two years in a juvenile facility after admitting to taking part in a brutal beating two months ago that left a 26-year-old St. Paul man with serious head injuries.
On Tuesday, Ramsey County Juvenile Court Judge Mark Ireland sentenced the teenager, who has not been named due to his age, to a 103-month stayed adult sentence, 18-24 months in a secure juvenile facility and he'll be under enhanced supervision until he turns 21.
If the teen violates a court order, however, his supervision designation will be revoked, and he'll then be referred to an adult prison to serve out the nearly 9-year adult sentence.
This sentence comes after the teen made a plea agreement in which he admitted to taking part in the Aug. 4 beating of Raymond Widstrand and agreed to testify against others involved in the attack.
On the night of the beating, St. Paul Police officers say they found Widstrand lying on Payne Avenue with blood coming from his nose and mouth. Witnesses said that members of the East Side Boys gang attacked Widstrand when he walked by a fight taking place between some women.
The other three youths charged in relation to the beating face multiple assault and crime-for-the-benefit-of-a-gang charges. Two of those charged are 15-year-old boys; another is 16-year-old Cindarion De'Angelo Butler, who will be tried as an adult.
Nineteen-year-old Issac Maiden is also charged in the incident.
As for Widstrand, he is still recovering. Initially, doctors said the prognosis for his recovery was slight. He suffered protracted loss of brain function, and doctors weren't sure if he was going to live.
But Widstrand says he's taking it day-by-day in the hospital, reading hundreds of comments from strangers on his CaringBridge site.
Earlier this month, Widstrand was slated to have reconstructive surgery on his head, which was to be his last surgery before going home.
