41-year-old Minneapolis man charged in kidnapping, death of real estate agent
A Minneapolis man was charged Monday with a series of violent crimes that culminated in the New Year’s Eve shooting death of Monique Baugh, 28.
Cedric Lamont Berry, 41, faces charges of kidnapping and second-degree murder for abducting and killing Baugh, as well as attempted murder for shooting Baugh’s boyfriend.
“I cannot begin to describe how vicious the behavior was in this case,” said Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman in a statement. “We have charged Mr. Berry with setting a trap for Ms. Baugh, assassinating her at close range and shooting at her boyfriend while in the same house with two small children. We are seeking high bail and will do all in our power to prove him guilty.
According to charging documents, Berry allegedly lured Baugh, who was a real estate agent, to a house viewing in Maple Grove.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
He then allegedly forced her into a rented van that was sighted a few hours later near the scene of a shooting at a residence in north Minneapolis. The victim in that shooting was Baugh’s boyfriend, who also lived at the address and was not named in the charging documents.
The charging document suggests Berry used Baugh’s key to enter the house on the 4800 block of Humboldt Avenue North at about 5:30 p.m., where he allegedly began shooting at Baugh’s boyfriend on the stairway, while a 3-year-old was in the living room and a 1-year-old was sleeping upstairs. The man was taken to a hospital, but there was no word on his condition.
Police discovered Baugh’s body about an hour later in an alley on the 1300 block of Russell Avenue North, 4 miles away. Her hands were bound and there were two shots in her torso and another in her head.
The complaint doesn’t specify a motive for the shootings, but hints it may be related to Baugh’s boyfriend “flaunting cash on social media.”
The county attorney’s office said when Berry was taken into custody, law enforcement found a black mask and "13 baggies of suspected heroin,” in his car.