SPPD Seeking Help In Finding Who Committed January Murders

SAINT PAUL, MN —Over a month after Alejandro Rios and Michael Stewart were gunned down in the 500 block of Payne Avenue, the Saint Paul Police Department is still looking to find the person or people who committed the murders.

The SPPD reached out on social media Thursday asking the public for details about what led up to the shootings and who might have pulled the trigger. They say nobody has come forward with any information.

The SPPD has partnered with Crime Stoppers Minnesota, which offers a website and phone number people can use to relay information about the case, while still remaining anonymous. Coming forward with valuable information can make someone eligible for a cash reward.

On Facebook, the SPPD wrote: "(The SPPD) encourages you to submit information to Crime Stoppers so you are free of retribution and remain safe while 'doing the right thing.'

According the Star Tribune, in the early hours of Jan. 21, officers responded to a report of gunfire and found Rios, 21, and Stewart, 39, wounded on the sidewalk at the intersection of Payne Avenue and E. North Street. Both men had suffered multiple bullet wounds and later died at Regions Hospital.

Rios, relatives said, was an aspiring rapper, who left behind a 1-year-old son.

Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers Minnesota at their website www.CrimeStoppersMn.org or call their toll free phone number at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or use the P3 Tip Submit app installable on smartphones.