The girlfriend of a man charged in last month’s fatal Apple Valley stabbing lied to investigators about how the killing went down and helped him elude authorities afterward, prosecutors say.

Lesley Segura Espinoza (Courtesy of the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office)

The Dakota County Attorney’s Office charged Lesley Segura Espinoza, 19, of Farmington, by warrant on Wednesday with felony aiding an offender by being an accomplice after the fact in the July 6 killing of Daniel Isaac Aguilar, a 21-year-old Apple Valley man who was found dead on a neighborhood sidewalk.

Segura Espinoza’s boyfriend, Aron Isait Medina Rojas, 20, of St. Louis Park, remains on the run. He was charged with second-degree murder on July 8, when a nationwide warrant also was issued for his arrest. Police said at the time that he might be trying to escape to Mexico.

Segura Espinoza was arrested Friday morning and went before Judge Bryce Ehrman for a first appearance on the charge.

Assistant Dakota County Attorney Caitlyn Prokopowicz asked that Segura Espinoza be held on $1 million bail or $500,000 with conditions, saying: “I will tell you that she played a significant role in the death of the victim of this offense.”

Bail set

Segura Espinoza was angry at Aguilar, sought him out and was there when Medina Rojas stabbed him, Prokopowicz told the judge. Cellphone records and witness statements all point to her helping Medina Rojas flee for Mexico, she said.

Segura Espinoza’s attorney, Alberto Miera, told the judge they “vehemently dispute” the allegations against her. He said Segura Espinoza had no information that Medina Rojas was headed for Mexico. “Your Honor, the presumption of innocence is real,” said Miera, who asked for $20,000 bail.

In response, Prokopowicz said that nearly all of what Segura Espinoza told investigators has been shown either through surveillance video, cellphone records or witness statements “to be either an absolute lie or a complete minimization.”

The judge set bail at $750,000 without conditions or $400,000 with conditions, including that she not leave the state and hand over her passport. She remained jailed Friday.

‘Let me be’

About 3:12 a.m., July 6, police were called to the intersection of Pennock Avenue and 138th Street W. on the report of an unresponsive man lying on the sidewalk. They found Aguilar covered in blood and unresponsive. His body was still warm to the touch. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and autopsy showed he was stabbed in the chest, shoulder and arm.

Aron Isait Medina Rojas (Courtesy of the Apple Valley Police Department)

Surveillance video from the surrounding area showed Aguilar walking on the sidewalk at 2:38 a.m. near where his body was later found. He walked out of camera range.

A minute later, car headlights came into view and then voices could be heard out of camera range. The voices were “elevated, as if they were arguing,” the criminal complaints state.

A female voice yelled, “Grab his phone! Grab his phone!” this week’s complaint against Segura Espinoza says.

Medina Rojas is then seen on video walking toward Aguilar, who backed away. He struck Aguilar in his left chest, to which Aguilar said, “I’m (expletive) walking home bro. Let me be,” the complaints state. Medina Rojas then punched Aguilar in the throat and Aguilar collapsed onto the sidewalk. Medina Rojas walked out of camera view, but was heard saying, “He’s dead. Let’s go.”

A minute later, Medina Rojas and Segura Espinoza walked toward where Aguilar was lying on the sidewalk. She and Medina Rojas walked up to Aguilar, while her phone was pointed at him and illuminated. They walked out of camera view.

Aguilar’s girlfriend told investigators she and him got into an argument after being at a club in Minneapolis. While at the club, she said, she kept getting calls from Segura Espinoza, who was angry with her for being with Aguilar because he had been unfaithful, the complaints say.

They left the club and drove to an Apple Valley bus station parking lot, where they continued arguing, she said. Segura Espinoza called and said she was with Medina Rojas and they were going to pick her up.

Daniel Isaac Aguilar (Courtesy of GoFundMe)

Video surveillance showed Aguilar walking away right as Segura Espinoza and Medina Rojas pulled into the parking lot.

Aguilar’s girlfriend told investigators she was upset and crying because of the argument. She said Segura Espinoza and Medina Rojas insisted on driving her to a friend’s house so that she wouldn’t pick up Aguilar.

Segura Espinoza contacted police on July 6 and gave a statement, with her attorney present. She said after dropping off Aguilar’s girlfriend, they saw Aguilar walking. Medina Rojas stopped the car, and she got out and confronted Aguilar. She said he became aggressive with her, prompting Medina Rojas to then get out.

“(Segura Espinoza) claimed that (Medina Rojas) and (Aguilar) were throwing punches at each other all the way down the sidewalk, in direct contradiction to what was seen on the surveillance video,” this week’s complaint states. It adds that she also claimed she saw Aguilar extend his arm before sitting down on the sidewalk.

Medina Rojas returned to the car with blood on his shirt and told her they had to leave, she said.

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Segura Espinoza also told investigators that she never made any comments during the altercation and never left the car after Aguilar sat down on the sidewalk, according to the complaint, which adds video proves otherwise.

Officers interviewed Segura Espinoza’s friend, who said that Segura Espinoza and Medina Rojas said they were going to beat up Aguilar and that they wanted her to help, but she declined, the complaint says.

Officers also spoke to Segura Espinoza’s cousin, who owns a car tint and “wrapping” business. He said that after Aguilar’s killing, at approximately 3:10 a.m., Segura Espinoza messaged him and said she needed a “wrap” for Medina Rojas’ car. He said she also asked him to get her passport and cash, as she was going to take off for Mexico.