Rochester Man Convicted in Downtown BB Gun Incident

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - An Olmsted County jury has found a Rochester man guilty of most of the charges brought against him following an incident involving a BB gun in downtown Rochester.

The jury convicted Tita of felony DWI and several other offenses.

The jury convicted 40-year-old Costin Aurelian Tita of felony DWI and gross misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree burglary and carrying a BB gun in a public place. He was also found guilty of misdemeanor fleeing police. The jury acquitted Tita of a gross misdemeanor charge of driving after cancellation-inimical to public safety.

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Police responded to a report of a customer brandishing what was reported as a firearm at a downtown bar.

The charges stem from a Rochester police response to a report of a customer brandishing a firearm at a downtown bar in the early morning hours of March 25, 2024. The criminal complaint says the responding officer followed the man out of the bar into an alley near Third Street Southwest and saw him drive a vehicle into a nearby city parking ramp.

Foot chase in downtown Skyway

According to the court document, police located the vehicle parked on the second level of the ramp, where an officer spotted Tita in the elevator vestibule and ordered him to stop. Tita allegedly fled on foot into an adjacent Skyway and then into a stairwell, leaving the BB gun behind next to the elevator.

Found hiding in garage

While searching for Tita, the criminal complaint says, police received a 911 call from a woman who reported that he had been pounding on the door of her home. She said Tita had been at the residence earlier and that she was afraid because he had a BB gun.

The charging document says Tita was eventually found hiding in a neighbor's garage and made another attempt to flee before surrendering to police.

Previous felony convictions

Court records indicate Tita’s criminal history includes three felony drug convictions. He was also convicted of DWI in Olmsted County in 2016 and has had his driver’s license revoked due to suspected impairment on two occasions since 2021.

He is scheduled to be sentenced for his latest convictions in February.