Teen charged in robbery of man who was looking for ride home

A Mankato teenager has been charged in the alleged robbery of a man who accepted a ride from a group of strangers last month.

Abdiwahab Mohamed Ali, 17, was charged Tuesday with felony aggravated first-degree robbery in Blue Earth County Court.

Police said the victim was walking with a group of friends in the early morning hours of Nov 20 when he got into a car with four people he believed would drive him home.  Instead, court documents say the car took off at a high rate of speed and the occupants demanded the victim “give them all he’s got.” The victim apparently gave the perpetrators his cell phone and wallet.

According to a juvenile petition, a male and female passenger in the backseat with the victim repeatedly pressed a handgun to the victim’s head and stomach.  The victim told police the gun appeared to be a Glock pistol.

Court documents say the victim was driven to a downtown residential alley where the alleged robbers continued to threaten him with the gun and demand money outside of the vehicle.

Eventually, the victim was taken to an ATM near the Minnesota State University, Mankato campus where he withdrew a total of $120 under the watch of one of the male passengers.  The petition says a gun wasn’t used during the withdrawal.

The victim was dropped off nearby and his property was returned, according to the petition.

Investigators say they recognized the vehicle used in the robbery after reviewing ATM footage.  The petition says Ali’s mother positively identified her son in a still photo from the ATM surveillance.

Ali allegedly admitted to police he had taken the victim’s cell phone and threatened the man downtown. The petition said Ali told investigators there was “no question” that the suspect in the surveillance videos was him.  Ali also told police the gun was a fake and described the alleged robbery as “really chill.”

Ali refused to name his accomplices, according to court documents.

In Minnesota, a juvenile age 16 or 17 will be publicly named if felony charges are involved.