32-year-old charged in the killing of his girlfriend’s estranged husband
A 32-year-old has been charged in connection with a fatal shooting in St. Paul on Monday.
James Edward Hagen faces one count of second-degree murder.
As previously reported, St. Paul police were called to a shooting at a home on York Avenue around 8:25 p.m. on Monday. A woman was giving CPR to the victim, who was identified Wednesday as Jonathan Diaz, 35. Diaz was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The medical examiner found that he had been shot six times.
According to a criminal complaint, witnesses identified Hagen as the shooter and said he left on a bike after the shooting before abandoning it and running. They also said a white Cadillac was circling the area after the shooting.
Officers found seven spent casings outside the garage and two inside the garage. They also found a handgun in the garage.
Investigators spoke to the 13-year-old daughter of the woman at the scene — Diaz’ estranged wife. The teen said the two were working on getting a divorce. She said that Hagen is dating her mother and was the one who shot Diaz, court documents state.
The teen also said Hagen and Diaz didn’t get along. The complaint notes that in August of 2023, officers were called to the same home on report of a shooting and found Hagen with gunshot injuries to both legs. The 13-year-old said Diaz had been the shooter.
Hagen said that he would kill Diaz the next time he saw him, the girl told police.
She said she was in the kitchen with her mother at the time of the shooting when they heard more than 10 loud bangs. Hagen yelled at the girl’s mother, “I told you I was going to kill him!” and then fled on a bike, the girl told police.
Diaz’s estranged wife told police that Diaz sometimes drives past the home to see his child. Hagen found out that he had driven by the house the day of the shooting and they argued about it.
The woman declined seeing Hagen at the scene of the shooting, court documents state.