Murder suspect among 12 arrested during special operation in St. Paul
A man accused of murder was among the dozen suspects arrested in St. Paul on Tuesday during a local law enforcement operation targeting fentanyl trafficking and other serious crime.
According to the St. Paul Police Department, four suspects were arrested in connection with the three-month "Operation Cold Front" investigation, which aims to combat drug-related crime.
Fentanyl-related overdose deaths claimed 180 lives in Ramsey County in 2023, making it the county's leading cause of overdose deaths.
The eight others arrested for other crimes during Tuesday's operation include 20-year-old Kastedell Larmarr Thomas Jr., of St. Paul, who is charged with murder in connection with the Oct. 14 shooting death of 42-year-old Nicholas Sletten, of Little Canada.
According to the criminal complaint, Sletten drove the suspect and four others to Speedway that evening.
After they left the gas station, Thomas Jr. and another man inside the vehicle allegedly produced firearms in an apparent robbery attempt.
Thomas Jr. allegedly shot Sletten before he and the other passengers fled the vehicle, charges state.
Sletten was found lying next to the vehicle at the intersection of Jackson Street and Wheelock Parkway shortly before 9:30 p.m. that night. He stopped breathing at the scene and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Tuesday's arrests were coordinated and carried out by the St. Paul Police Department's Narcotics, Gang, Criminal Investigations and Special Investigations units and the Ramsey County Violent Crimes Enforcement Team.
In a statement Wednesday, St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry thanked the units for their "dedication and determination" and said "violent crime will not be tolerated in our city."
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