Second man guilty in shooting at homeowner checking a noise

Monday,

The second of two men involved in the shooting at a man who opened his door to check on a noise has pleaded guilty to second-degree assault, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Monday.

Carlos Rodriguez-Ortega, 21, of Minneapolis, entered his plea Monday morning as the case was about to go to trial. The two sides will argue over his sentence on July 25, with the county attorney’s office seeking 36 months in prison.

According to the criminal complaint and Rodriguez-Ortega’s admissions in court, police were called to a South Minneapolis home about 12:40 a.m. April 27, 2017 by a man who had been shot at. The man told police he heard a noise outside and opened his front door and two men standing in the middle of the street began shooting at him.

The victim said the two men ran through the backyard of the house across the street and jumped into a black BMW parked in the alley. Police found 10 spent cartridge casings in the street for a 9mm handgun. Another squad car noticed a black BMW speed past them and pull into a gas station. The police went to the car and identified Rodriguez-Ortega, Darrell Weyaus and a third man and held them until the victim could come and identify them, the complaint states.

The victim said Weyaus was the one who shot at him and Rodriguez-Ortega was with him. Police found a 9mm Ruger semi-automatic pistol on the ground outside the car and it matched the spent shells found in the street. Weyaus also had a bullet in his pocket. Video also showed the shooting just as the victim describe it. The video showed Weyaus shooting and Rodriguez-Ortega directing him on where to stand and where to shoot, according to the complaint.

Weyaus pleaded guilty to felon in possession of ammunition or gun in July and was sentenced to 60 months in prison in September.

Rodriguez-Ortega Criminal complaint (PDF)