Guilty Plea For Gun Threat at Rochester Convenience Store

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A plea agreement has been reached in a case involving a man charged with pointing a gun and threatening to kill him during a dispute at the gas pumps outside a Rochester convenience store.

42-year-old Jesus Rodriguez was arrested last July after he was identified as the person who allegedly pulled a handgun out of his waistband and threatened to kill another man while the victim was pumping gas into his car. The criminal complaint in the case says the victim told Rochester police he was approached by a man he did not know who was yelling in both Spanish and English before the man went back to his vehicle and came back with a handgun.

Olmsted County ADC photo

The court document also indicates police were able to obtain a video recorded by the business’ surveillance cameras that captured the incident. The criminal complaint states that Rodriguez later admitted pointing the gun at the victim after investigators obtained a search warrant and recovered the weapon.

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Rodriguez was charged with second-degree assault along with felony counts of terroristic threats and illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Court records show Rodriguez was previously convicted of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

photo courtesy Kraus-Anderson

Under his plea deal, Rodrigues today entered a guilty plea to the firearm possession charge in exchange for the dismissal of the two other felony counts against him. The court record says the prosecution also agreed to recommend a "soft" mandatory five year prison sentence in the case.

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That leaves the door open for Rodrigues to argue for a downward departure from state sentencing guidelines. The prosecution indicated that, if he is found amenable to probation, it would recommend a jail sentence that would be capped at a maximum of 60 days.

Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced in July.

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