Charges: 3 family members targeted Somali students in fight at St. Louis Park High School
A mother and her two adult children are facing criminal charges in connection with a fight that closed St. Louis Park High School last week.
Latoys Milon, 41; Abreeha Smith, 22; and Jerome Smith Jr., 19, are all charged with third-degree riot and fourth-degree assault motivated by bias.
Prosecutors allege the three adults were targeting Somali students as they left school for the day on Jan. 18 after Milon’s younger daughter, a minor who attends St. Louis Park High, claimed she was “jumped” by a group of Somali girls.
Video of the incident allegedly shows Milon yelling, “I’ll fight any Somali that comes down those stairs,” a criminal complaint states.
Officers who responded to the fight talked with four Somali students who said they were attacked.
One boy — who had suffered multiple cuts on his legs and wrist, along with a swollen eye and nose — said he feared he was going to “black out” while the suspects assaulted him.
Surveillance video allegedly shows Jerome Smith throw the boy to the ground before he stomps and kicks him. Milon joined in punching him, the complaint states, and the mother and son grabbed him and threw him back down when he tried to get away. Finally, Abreeha Smith is seen kicking him the second time he falls to the ground.
A girl told police Jerome Smith choked her with both hands for several seconds, and when the victim tried to help another girl who had been knocked down, Abreeha Smith punched her in the face.
All three suspects left in a car.
Milon and Abreeha Smith were taken into custody on the day of the fight and were later released; Jerome Smith was charged via summons and has yet to be taken into custody.
The fight caused St. Louis Park High School administrators to cancel school the next day.
Interim Superintendent Kate Maguire told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS the district is requesting more of a police presence at the school and closing access to campus during lunch periods.