Family of Slain South St. Paul man pleads for public's help
By Joseph Lindberg
jlindberg_at_pioneerpress.com
POSTED: 09/25/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT | UPDATED: ABOUT 7 HOURS AGO
Clutching a letter from her brother she received a day before he was found dead in a Shoreview parking lot, Wainy Melake pleaded for the public's help Wednesday afternoon.
"This is all I have left of him," she told a battery of press and cameras at the Ramsey County sheriff's office. "Someone took my brother's life and discarded it like garbage."
Described by family as a sweet, fun-loving computer geek determined to finish college, Hagos Tsegay Melake, 26, of South St. Paul was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head shortly before 7 a.m. Aug. 31 in the 5700 block of Hamline Avenue.
Ramsey County authorities released new images of three possible suspects Wednesday, with hopes the public can help identify two people last seen with Melake around 1:45 a.m. and a woman who later used his debit card.
Witnesses saw Melake leave Hunan Garden in downtown St. Paul with a black man wearing a black shirt and another person, whose gender isn't clear, wearing a red shirt with a right-arm sleeve tattoo, according to sheriff's Commander Mike Salter.
There were no indications Melake was under pressure or duress, authorities said.
One of Melake's debit cards was then used around 4:45 a.m. at a US Bank branch ATM on West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis. An image of the woman who used the card was made public; to authorities' knowledge, she was not connected to the restaurant.
In newly released security footage, the woman is seen holding the card in her shirt to avoid leaving fingerprints, according to Salter. The woman also took a long time to retrieve money, a sign she was likely unfamiliar with the ATM.
"She's up to some illicit purpose," he said. "She would also need the pass code (for the card)."
Authorities would not confirm whether the parking lot where Melake was found was where he was killed, saying it was still part of the active investigation.
Melake, born in Eritrea, was attending college to become a computer engineer. His family emigrated from Eritrea in 1993 -- about 30 members of the community showed their support at the press conference.
Any gang affiliations were strongly denied by Melake's family. Early on, the homicide was investigated for possible gang connections, according to Salter.
"He was not involved in any gang activity," said Melake's father, Tsegay Melake. "We need help. Somebody (saw) this crime."
Anyone with information is asked to call the Ramsey County sheriff's office at 651-266-7320. Information that leads to an arrest could be rewarded through Minnesota Crime Stoppers.
Joseph Lindberg can be reached at 651-228-5513. Follow him attwitter.com/JosephLindberg.
http://www.twincities.com/dakotacounty/ci_24174016/family-slain-south-st-paul-man-pleads-publics
http://www.presspubs.com/shoreview/news/article_2d1f320a-2617-11e3-9d58-0019bb2963f4.html
Received on Thu Sep 26 2013 - 09:53:48 EDT