A St. Paul man with a violent criminal history has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in a daytime carjacking and armed robbery.

Oscar Zuniga (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)

Oscar Zuniga, 30, received his sentence in Ramsey County District Court on Monday after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting first-degree robbery in connection with the March 2 incident in the city’s Greater East Side neighborhood that ended when his accomplice crashed into another vehicle.

The length of the prison sentence was negotiated between the defense and prosecution as part of a November plea agreement, which also included an aiding and abetting first-degree carjacking charge being dismissed at sentencing. Zuniga had four prior convictions defined as crimes of violence under state statute, but the prosecution agreed to waive its request for an aggravated sentence as part of the plea deal.

According to the criminal complaints against Zuniga and his accomplice:

Officers responded to Rose Avenue west of White Bear Avenue about 1:30 p.m. March 2 on a report of a carjacking. A 34-year-old man reported that he picked up a friend and that two other men were with her — he knew one as Rico and the other only as Mouse.

Police identified Rico as Joesiah Ramon Wakon, 22, of St. Paul.

The man said that his driving had been erratic when he picked her up and that she convinced him to let her drive the Toyota Tundra, which was his father’s vehicle.

Mouse, later identified as Zuniga, pulled a handgun and said something like, “Don’t move — I’ll kill you. Empty out your pockets” and held the gun to the back of the man’s head. The man gave Mouse his wallet and phone, and exited the Tundra.

Mouse pointed the gun at his friend and yelled at her to drive away in the Tundra. Officers searching the area saw the vehicle and tried to pull it over at Arcade and East Seventh streets.

The Tundra stopped briefly near Margaret Street and a woman got out of the backseat. She later told police that the other woman, who was being forced to drive the truck, was giving her a ride when the robbery happened.

Meanwhile, Zuniga and Waukon told the driver not to stop for police, the complaints said.

Waukon then got into the driver’s seat and kept going. They let Mouse out along the way.

The woman with Waukon told him to stop for officers, but he said, “I can’t — I’m not going to jail,” according to the complaints.

Officers lost sight of the Tundra, but found it again at Fourth and Hancock streets and pursued, as the pickup went 65-70 mph and ran a red light on Earl Street at Minnehaha Avenue. He drove into oncoming traffic on Maryland Avenue.

As the Tundra approached the entrance ramp to Interstate 35E, the truck struck another car, spun out and lost two tires. Squads pinned in the Tundra and took Waukon into custody.

Joesiah Ramon Waukon (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)

In June, Waukon pleaded guilty to auto theft and fleeing from police in a vehicle, while an aiding and abetting carjacking charge was dismissed as part of a plea deal. He was given a 15-month prison sentence and three years of probation in November.

In 2014, Zuniga was convicted of first-degree aggravated robbery and aiding and abetting first-degree aggravated robbery for two separate incidents over two consecutive days in October 2013, court records show. He was convicted of simple robbery in 2022 and second-degree aggravated robbery in 2023.

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The Gophers men’s basketball team has lost seven straight games, and 10th-ranked Michigan State is up next on Wednesday night at Williams Arena.

But this ongoing skid is not as bleak as it might appear.

While head coach Niko Medved bristles at opportunities to take moral victories, one fact is important to lean on in these lean times: The majority of Minnesota’s roster will have eligibility remaining for at least next season. They can learn from this rough patch and apply it in the future, potentially to the benefit of the U in 2026-27.

While leading scorer Cade Tyson and guard Langston Reynolds are seniors, the three other starters can return next season: junior Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, sophomore Isaac Asuma and junior Bobby Durkin.

Two starters during nonconference play, point guard Chansey Willis and center Robert Vaihola, were seniors, but due to season-ending injuries, they are candidates for medical redshirts and could return for 2026-27. The same would go for B.J. Omot and Chance Stephens, who have not played at all this season.

Medved, in his first season at the U, said he’s constantly looking ahead to the future. “Your focus is on this year, but you are always thinking about your program,” he told the Pioneer Press last week. “What is next? How do we build on this?

“For us, too, being in Year 1, you are also trying to set a foundation. You are thinking about what can we build on going into next spring and summer. We spend a lot of time thinking about that and what it might look like.”

Every Gophers player is currently signed to one-year revenue sharing contracts, the Pioneer Press learned, so all of the key players would require a re-signing for them to return to Minnesota for next season.

The two biggest pieces would be Crocker-Johnson, who had followed Medved to Colorado State last year and Minnesota again this year. Asuma stayed loyal to the U through the coaching change from Ben Johnson last March.

Durikin, a transfer from Davidson, has adjusted to the Big Ten level and is averaging 17.3 points per game in his last three. That’s up from 9.3 on the season.

“Those thoughts go through your mind,” Durkin said about next year. “But I just try to stay locked in on the present moment and what I have to do (Tuesday) at practice and the best way I can be prepared for Michigan State.”

Through injuries, the Gophers have had to rely on two freshmen in their seven-man rotation. Both big Grayson Grove and guard Kai Shinholster have shown signs of development. That bodes well for larger roles next season.

Next year’s mix will also include three incoming freshman: Wayzata wing Nolen Anderson, East Ridge point guard Ced Tomes and Irvine, Calif., center Carrack Mpoyi. While Medved and staff went out and signed three high school recruits, it’s important to know the existing cupboard will not be bare — unlike last year.

Under Johnson a year ago, five of the top six players were seniors. The lion’s share of the offense went through Dawson Garcia, and their 15-17 overall record, 7-13 in Big Ten play, didn’t give signs for a brighter tomorrow.

This year’s situation has a different vibe.

Briefly

Tyson reported soreness in his ankle after playing 27 minutes in the 77-75 loss to Penn State on Sunday, but it doesn’t appear it will be an issue that will keep him from playing against the Spartans, Medved said. Tyson, who scored 17 on Sunday, missed one game, the 67-63 loss at Wisconsin last Wednesday.

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Country star Tim McGraw will take his show outdoors, with the help of some friends, when he headlines Target Field Aug. 23.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday via Ticketmaster. Citi cardholders have access to a presale that runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday.

McGraw, who’ll be 59 when he gets to the Twins ballpark, first hit No. 1 with 1994’s “Don’t Take the Girl” and has landed back in that spot more than two dozen more times over the years, with smashes like “I Like It, I Love It,” “Unbroken,” “Live Like You Were Dying,” “Last Dollar (Fly Away),” “Felt Good on My Lips,” “Shotgun Rider” and “Humble and Kind.”

In his more than three decades-long career, the Louisiana native has been a frequent visitor to the Twin Cities. He’s headlined the former Xcel Energy Center, Target Center and Minnesota State Fair Grandstand numerous times and played multiple shows with his wife Faith Hill. Most recently, McGraw drew a capacity crowd to the X in 2024.

McGraw released his 16th album, “Standing Room Only,” in 2023 and the title cut gave him yet another hit.

At the time, he said he had worked on the record for three years and that it had “some of the most emotional, thought-provoking and life-affirming music I’ve ever recorded.”

Opening acts

Emily Robison, left, Natalie Maines, and Martie Maguire of The Chicks perform on the second weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Park on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

At Target Field, McGraw will be joined by veteran acts the Chicks and Lady A as well as 49 Winchester and Timothy Wayne.

The Chicks are likely to help McGraw move some tickets. The trio formerly known as the Dixie Chicks have only toured sporadically over the past two decades, but sold out the Grandstand the three times they’ve played there.

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Children’s Minnesota hospital says it will pause some gender health services for minors following federal actions on health care.

The hospital network said in a statement Tuesday that there has been an increase of federal actions “directed at pediatric health systems” such as Children’s, which provides gender-specific care through its Gender Health Care Program.

Among the recent federal actions was a U.S. Health and Human Services declaration in December that called treatments like puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries unsafe and ineffective for children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria. The declaration also warned doctors that they could be excluded from federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid if they provide those types of care.

A coalition of states including Minnesota has sued Health and Human Services over the declaration.

Children’s said it will pause prescribing puberty-suppressing medications and hormones to patients under 18 beginning Feb. 27.

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Still, the hospital said its Gender Health Program will not fully close: Mental health, supportive care, medical treatment and non-medical treatment services will continue to be provided to patients and their families.

“Children’s Minnesota remains committed to advocating for the dignity and well-being of the patients and families who trust us with their care,” Children’s stated. “We have contacted our patient families directly to help them navigate any impacts to their care.”

The statement continued that the decision was not one the hospital wanted to make but instead one that had to be made to protect the hospital and its providers. “We stand firmly behind the fact that gender affirming care is evidence-based, safe and lifesaving for transgender and gender diverse youth,” Children’s stated.