Suspect Charged in Downtown St. Cloud Pawn Shop Robbery

ST. CLOUD -- The Stearns County Attorney's Office has charged one of three men accused of robbing a downtown St. Cloud pawn shop last August.

Thirty-nine-year-old Johnathon Herring of Waite Park is charged with one count of 1st-degree aggravated robbery.

St. Cloud Police were called to Security Coin and Pawn Shop in the 600 block of St. Germain West on August 21st. Two employees were assaulted and numerous pieces of jewelry were taken.

Police say three black men originally walked into the store and one of the men then left. The remaining two suspects grabbed the 75-year-old female clerk and 76-year-old male clerk and started punching them in the face. The two then jumped over the counter and ransacked a jewelry case and then fled on foot.

The employees were taken to St. Cloud Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

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St. Cloud Police were able to identify Herring as one of the suspects through DNA testing completed at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension lab. The BCA determined the match by running the DNA sample through the Minnesota Convicted Offender Database.

Herring was already in the Stearns County Jail being held on an unrelated offense and remains in custody.

Authorities say in 2018, Herring was convicted on a 2nd-degree aggravated robbery charge in Benton County.

Police have no further information on the remaining two suspects in the case.