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Man Charged For St. Paul Home Invasion Says He Was High On Cocaine

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A St. Paul man said he was high on cocaine at the time and has no recollection of an armed home invasion for which he now faces charges.

According to the criminal complaint, 22-year-old Robert Barrett faces two counts of first degree burglary, two counts of attempted aggravated robbery and two counts of second degree assault.

The invasion occurred just before 10 p.m. on Sept. 21 on the 1600 block of Maywood Street in St. Paul. A woman was washing dishes when a man entered her home, pointed a rifle at her and said "I want the money."

Hearing the commotion, the woman's husband entered the kitchen and told the gunman there was money in a kitchen drawer. After searching the drawer, the gunman told the husband, "Stop stalling or I'm going to shoot you" and shot the floor.

The husband wrestled the rifle away from the man and struck him in the head with it. The man pleaded to be allowed to leave before grabbing the rifle. The fight continued outside before the man fled with the rifle. Two shots went off during the scuffle for the gun.

The couple's children, ages 2 and 5, were asleep in the home during the invasion.

The man took nothing from the home, but the husband did suffer a gunshot wound to the knee.

Three days later, an anonymous tipster told police Barrett recently suffered a head injury. The tipster said Barrett mentioned a gunshot and police linking him to a crime by DNA.

Both the husband and wife picked Barrett's photo out of an array. Police arrested Barrett on Oct. 5.

Barrett's mother said Barrett did come home with a head injury one night, but refused to go to the hospital.

In an interview with police, Barrett said he was high on cocaine at the time of the invasion and the evening was "a blur." He said he remembered struggling with a man for a gun, but had no idea how he ended up in the couple's home, where he got the gun or what he did with it.

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