Eagan Teenagers Assaulted, Kidnapped and Robbed Victim, Police Say

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Eagan police say two local teenagers assaulted a man, held him at gunpoint, then drove him to a nearby bank in an effort to steal money from the victim.

Joey James Brown, 18, and Paul Earnest McWilliams, Jr., 19, are being held at the Dakota County Jail pending charges of kidnapping, first-degree aggravated robbery and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon—all felonies. The pair also face one misdemeanor count of theft.

If convicted of kidnapping, Brown and McWilliams could each face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

Police responded to a robbery report just after 2 a.m. Wednesday, according to Sgt. Jennifer Wills. Police spoke with the victim, who told officers that he was approached and assaulted while in the parking lot of an apartment complex on the 3800 block of Ballantrae Road in Eagan.

The man, who sustained several bruises and minor injuries during the beating, allegedly told police the suspects forced him at gunpoint to get into a car. They then drove the man to a nearby bank in an effort to get money, Wills said. The man was eventually released and was able to give police a description of the vehicle and the suspects, Wills added.

Eagan police put out an 'Attempt to Locate' call on the vehicle, but did not find the car until later that afternoon, when an anonymous caller told officers that a person with a gun was sitting in a car at the Target parking lot in Eagan, Wills said.

Shortly after the call, police stopped the vehicle at the intersection of Taconite Trail and Cinnabar Drive in Eagan, at which point they arrested both Brown and McWilliams.

Wills could not confirm whether police recovered a gun during the arrest, nor could she say whether Brown and McWilliams knew the victim. Much of the case is still under active investigation, Wills said.

"One of the main things that we want to get out is that there is not a public safety threat about this," Wills said. "We've apprehended the people who were involved, and we're very certain that we have the right people."

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