Acquittal in St. Paul light rail death

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A defendant accused of causing the death of a man at a St. Paul light rail station has been acquitted of murder.

A Ramsey County jury deliberated less than five hours Tuesday before finding 20-year-old Shawn Bellazan not guilty of second-degree murder and aggravated robbery.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press says 68-year-old Gebremedhin Tela died of a blood clot days after an altercation with Bellazan and another man, Cavis Adams, on the Green Line last fall. Video footage shows Tela taking a swing at Bellazan and Bellazan repeatedly punching Tela and taking his cellphone. Prosecutors argued Bellazan and Adams used force that eventually resulted in Tela’s death.

Adams’ trial is scheduled for this spring.

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Information from: St. Paul Pioneer Press, http://www.twincities.com