Another Charged In Robbery That Led To Woman's Shooting Death

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) –Another man has been charged in last weekend's shooting death that left a mother dead in St. Paul.

Sarah Wierstad, 24, was shot around 8 p.m. Sunday near her home at the intersection of Beaumont and Bedford streets in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood.

Wierstad had been shot in the heart. Her death was the third in what was a violent week in the metro area.

Witnesses told investigators that multiple gunshots were heard in the street and two vehicles sped off from the area immediately after the shooting.

When checking on Wierstad's young daughter shortly after, police noticed that purses and shoe boxes appeared to be out of place in Wierstad's otherwise tidy apartment.

Later, after police obtained a search warrant, investigators found a cut in the window screen near Wierstad's kitchen.

Investigators also found that surveillance video captured the two vehicles seen leaving Beaumont and Bedford after the shooting. Those cars -- a Chrevolet Suburban and a Toyota 4Runner – went to Minneapolis gas station about a half hour after the shooting, and surveillance video showed Bell trying to pay for gas with Wierstad's credit card.

Earlier this week, 24-year-old Alvin Bell was charged with second-degree murder. They also arrested a woman named Michelle Koester.

On Friday, 26-year-old Isiah Lee Harper was charged with first-degree aggravated robbery and first-degree burglary.

Investigators say that after authorities arrested Harper, he admitted to being present at the burglary at Wierstad's home, but gave several different accounts of the incident.

He told authorities he felt "really bad about what happened," saying he didn't wish anyone to get killed and only wanted to get money.