MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — A $30 dispute inside a Minneapolis apartment ended with a woman dead and a 66-year-old man headed to prison for more than a decade.
Raymond Jones was sentenced after being convicted of second-degree unintentional murder in the November 2025 shooting death of 43-year-old Desirae Argueta-Joj, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
The fatal shooting happened on Nov. 5, 2025, at an apartment in the 2600 block of West Broadway in Minneapolis.
When police arrived at the apartment, they found Argueta-Joj holding a knife and suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit.
The case later centered on what happened inside the apartment and whether Jones intentionally shot the woman or whether the gun fired during a struggle.
Jones Gives Police His Version of the Shooting
Jones called 911 after the shooting and initially told authorities that Argueta-Joj had a gun and that the weapon went off during a struggle.
“I had help pulling the trigger,” he told police.
However, investigators said Jones could not clearly explain how the gun supposedly fired during the struggle. Authorities also noted that Jones did not have defensive wounds.
Jones told investigators that he had picked up Argueta-Joj earlier that day and intended to pay her for sex. The two eventually went back to his apartment.
According to Jones, things did not work out as planned, and Argueta-Joj stood up to leave.
That was when Jones said he realized his $30 in cash was missing. He told police that he prevented her from leaving the apartment, after which she pulled out a knife.
“She just flipped the whole script,” Jones told investigators.
Jones then said he grabbed his gun, leading to the struggle that he claimed resulted in the shooting.
Prosecutors Say Gun Was Fired Deliberately
Prosecutors rejected Jones’ account that the shooting was accidental. According to the prosecution, Jones placed the firearm over Argueta-Joj’s heart and pulled the trigger because he was angry about the missing $30.
The jury ultimately convicted Jones of second-degree unintentional murder but found him not guilty of second-degree intentional murder.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said prosecutors had sought a 15-year prison sentence, but Jones received a sentence of just over 10 years.
“My thoughts are with Ms. Argueta-Joj’s loved ones. She should still be alive,” Moriarty said.
She also criticized the verdict and the way responsibility was characterized during the court proceedings.
Prosecutor Says Sentence Did Not Match the Facts
Moriarty said Jones was a 66-year-old man who did not take responsibility for his actions and argued that the circumstances warranted greater punishment.
“Mr. Jones is a 66-year-old man who does not take responsibility for his actions. Because of a dispute over $30, he fired his gun at contact range into Ms. Argueta-Joj’s heart,” Moriarty said.
She added that the facts of the case, along with the verdict and sentence, minimized Jones’ responsibility for what happened. The prosecutor also objected to what she described as blame being placed on the victim in court.
The case leaves a family grieving after a dispute that began over a relatively small amount of money escalated into a fatal confrontation.
Desirae Argueta-Joj Was a Mother of Nine
Argueta-Joj was 43 years old and a mother of nine, according to her obituary. Her death has left loved ones dealing with the loss while Jones begins serving his prison sentence. Authorities have not indicated that the dispute involved any larger financial issue beyond the $30 Jones said was missing.
The shooting also raised questions about Jones’ claim that the gun discharged unintentionally during a struggle, a claim prosecutors strongly disputed.
For now, the criminal case has resulted in a prison sentence of more than a decade, although prosecutors had sought a longer term.
What do you think about the sentence in this case? Do you believe more than 10 years was appropriate? Share your thoughts in the comments.
