Charges: Coon Rapids teen held knife to man's throat, demanding a locksmith
Photo Courtesy: Anoka County Jail
ANOKA COUNTY, Minn. (KMSP) - A 19-year-old Coon Rapids man has been charged after allegedly holding a man at knife point and forcing him to drive to businesses to call a locksmith.
Anthony Armonie Cooper is charged with kidnapping and assault in the second degree. He had his first appearance on Tuesday.
According to the Anoka County criminal complaint, on Sunday the Anoka County Sheriff's Officer received several reports from businesses that a man was holding a knife to the throat of another man. Mounds View police later identified the suspect as Cooper.
Sunday morning, the victim, who is about 59 years old, was outside taking pictures of the sunrise when Cooper approached him asking for help with a vehicle. Cooper asked him to call for a locksmith. The man let Cooper in his apartment while he tried to contact a locksmith, but the businesses weren't open on Sunday.
Cooper got upset the locksmiths weren't open and told the victim he would "slice [his] throat" if he didn't do what he said. He told the victim to "hotwire" the vehicle, but the man didn't know how. Cooper then made the victim drive him around to find a locksmith.
They stopped at several businesses in Coon Rapids and Mounds View, including a gas station and a CVS. At those locations, Cooper took the man into the building with him. While holding a knife at the man's throat, Cooper threatened the staff he would kill him if the workers didn't call a locksmith. Workers and surveillance videos from the businesses confirmed the victim's account.
At the last stop, Cooper decided to stay inside the car and told the victim to go inside the business to find a locksmith. Once inside, the man told the workers to call police. When officers arrived, Cooper was still inside the car with a black knife.
Cooper is scheduled for an omnibus hearing on October 17.