Two men charged in Medford robbery on Owatonna

OWATONNA — Two men, who allegedly participated in a robbery of a Medford convenience store Friday night, face charges of aggravated robbery.

The men, Juan Guerrero, 18, and Raymond Placencia, 19, appeared in Steele County District Court Monday.

According to the criminal complaint, an employee of the store noticed a blue SUV parked out front of the store. One male came in and asked for a phone then a second, asked for the bathroom. The vehicle later moved to the south side of the building and lingered there before leaving.

The employee thought it was suspicious so he wrote the down the vehicle description and license number.

About 15 minutes later, the vehicle returned and three males entered the store. The males were wearing hoodies and had their faces covered.

One of the males broke a beer bottle on the counter and told the employee to open the drawer and give him the money.

The complaint said one of the males asked the employee where the safe was but the employee never answered.

The employee put the money on top of the cash register drawer and one of the males grabbed it and ran off.

The Steele County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call and put out a description of the vehicle which Owatonna Police stopped.

Deputies interviewed one of the juveniles, a female, who said she and her boyfriend, Placencia, had picked up the other three males. She said during the robbery she remained in the vehicle with Placencia. She said she didn’t know they were going to commit a robbery but “figured they were up to no good.” She said one of the males texted her during the robbery and said to start the vehicle and put it in reverse. A male later gave her money and said it was for gas.

The girl said she had dropped Guerrero and two others off at Wal-Mart after the robbery.

Placencia told deputies he had waited outside with his girlfriend because she didn’t want to be alone in the vehicle. Placencia said he didn’t really think the other males would go through with the robbery but admitted doing nothing to stop it.

Placencia was given part of the money taken from the robbery.

Guerrero, who was arrested the following day at his home, told police he was hesitant to help the two juveniles but did so for their protection because one was his brother and both were “smaller.”

His brother, who had been arrested the day of the robbery admitted to finding a beer bottle outside in the trash which he used to break during the robbery.

Guerrero was charged with one count of aiding and abetting first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery in the first-degree and aiding an offender.

Placencia was charged with aiding and abetting first-degree robbery, aiding an offender and receiving stolen property.

Cash bail for both Guerrero and Placencia was set at $50,000 or $25,000 with conditions. Both men are scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 2.

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Member Opinions: By: Whereiscommonsense on 10/27/09 Throw into a secure cell, lock the door and break the key...more hoodlums disgracing our community, throw the book at 'em and let others know that crime doesn't pay in our community!! By: FEIDO on 10/27/09 I think Owatonna should build that roundabout and put these idiots in the middle for all to see and throw trash at.Like maybe broken bottles. By: owatonnaguy on 10/27/09 Go easy on them. They were nice enough to give the getaway driver money for gas! So they cant be all that bad. By: charliebrown on 10/27/09 I wonder how much they got-wonder if it is worth prison time? By: Indians on 10/27/09 Placencia? Isn't that next to my liver? By: Mindyourpeace on 10/27/09 Nice Indians! That's hilarious! What has gotten into this world? By: thetruth on 10/27/09 The sad part is that all that will happen to them is a slap on the wrist, say "Don't do it again", and then probation. It is a wonder that we don't have more of this with the way the system works. By: Tiny on 10/27/09 kick there butts all the way back to Mexico!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! By: Jesus_isKing on 10/27/09 Indians on 10/27/09 That was funny! I thought it was the bag the babies are living inside the Mommy! Why do these kid punks think they can get away with that? 18 and 19? They need to get a job. I hate it when people steal things from me-or anyone..... By: Are_you_serious on 10/27/09 HEY TINY!!!! What makes you think that they are from MEXICO YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLE!!!!! Because there names are of a spanish nature does not mean they are from MEXICO. What these individuals did was wrong and they should be all punished for the crime that they have commited. And we can all agree on it!! but YOU decided to let either your BIAS BS Come out or YOUR RACISM BS come out. whatever it is that is why so many people look at the crime as an race or cultural aspect versus as to the nature of the crime. So what bothers you the most??? Is it that they are minorties or that they did something wrong??? Because no one, that posted here mentioned anything about color they mentioned the crime that took place but no you did you had to say something that has not relevance to anything???? By: cialunatic on 10/28/09 While I don't like Tiny's comment I'd like to say something about what you said Are_you_serious. You stated "whatever it is that is why so many people look at the crime as a race or cultural aspect versus as to the nature of the crime." Statistics show that atleast in big cities across America that over 80% of crimes are commited by blacks or hispanics. Statistics also show that 90% of the victims are white. I believe that Tiny's post was wrong but maybe the blacks and hispanics could do their part so that they don't get a bad rap. As Dennis Miller said "It's the few rotten million that spoil it for the other 11." By: quinn on 10/28/09 Dennis Miller was much funnier when he was a democrat. JMO By: pee-wee11 on 10/30/09 HAHAHA I THINK ITS KIND OF FUNNY HOW 2 HISPANIC MALES ARE BEING JUDGED FOR A MISTAKE THEY MADE IM NOT SAYIN WHAT THEY DID WAS RIGHT CAUSE ITS NEVER RIGHT TO ROB SOME ONE BUT ITS NOT JUS THE HISPANICS AND BLACKS WHO ARE COMITING CRIMES THERES BEEN PLENTY OF WHITE MALES WHO HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF ARMED ROBBERY BUT NO ONE IS SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT THEM DISCRACING THE COMMUNITY BUT WHEN IT COMES TO 2 HISPANIC MALES MR. TINY WANTS TO GO ALL RACIST HAHAHA GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT FIRST BEFORE OPENING YOUR MOUTH BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE INVOVLED WERE HISPANIC By: MomB on 10/30/09 WHO CARES what the ethnicity is--these young guys commited a robbery and if not re-directed will try it again. Next time they will not be practicing.
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