Teen pleads guilty in deadly shooting of St. Paul father Michael Brasel outside his home

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - One of two teens arrested in the deadly shooting of Michael Brasel, the St. Paul father killed in his own front yard when he reportedly confronted a pair of thieves outside his home, has pled guilty.

Kle Swee pleaded guilty Wednesday to murder charges while waiving his rights to a certification hearing, moving the case out of juvenile court. Swee was initially charged as a juvenile in the case but prosecutors had sought to certify his as an adult. He was 17 years old when the shooting happened; he will turn 18 in October.

Swee and Ta Mla were arrested after the deadly shooting in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood in May. According to the charges, the teens were attempting to steal from a vehicle in front of Brasel's home on Chilcombe Avenue in the morning hours of May 6.

Brasel was shot when he noticed the crime in progress and tried to intervene. Brasel's wife reported hearing three shots and running out to find her husband shot in the front yard.

A second person has charged with connection to the shooting that ultimately killed St. Paul Michael Brasel, who was attempting to stop someone from stealing his car.

According to charges, the teens climbed into a black sports car and sped away from the scene with Mla behind the wheel of the car. Police said cell phone data put both teens near the location of the murder that morning.

Before the Brasel killing, Swee had faced charges in another high-profile incident, a robbery at Harding High School bathroom that was recorded and posted on social media.

Sentencing for Swee will take place in October. Prosecutors say they will seek the maximum sentence permitted, which would be about 25 years behind bars.

The Brasel family saw an outpouring of support in the days and weeks following his murder. Friends told us Brasel was an active member of the local hockey community, including serving as a youth coach.