Man pleads guilty in drive-by shooting in Albert Lea

Published 2:49 pm Thursday, December 10, 2020

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An Albert Lea man pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree assault tied to a drive-by shooting in May on Gene Avenue.

Omar Rodriguez

Omar Rodriguez, 26, also pleaded guilty to a count of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in a separate case as part of a plea agreement with the Freeborn County Attorney’s Office. 

In the drive-by shooting case, Rodriguez admitted to driving into a trailer park May 9, discharging a firearm and injuring a man. The man was taken to Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea before being taken to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester for an injury to his arm. 

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The shooting, on the 1200 block of Gene Avenue, was intentional, Rodriguez said, and he agreed that it caused substantial bodily harm to the person.

In the second case, Rodriguez admitted to pulling a pocket knife out on his sister and threatening her during an argument in his family’s home on Aug. 30, 2019. He did not cause any injuries but had demanded her to leave the house. 

Felony charges of first-degree assault, drive by shooting, ineligible person in possession of a firearm and a second charge of second-degree assault are expected to be dismissed at the time of sentencing as part of the agreement. Charges in a third case tied to an alleged knife-point abduction in April are also expected to be dismissed. 

Rodriguez is slated to be sentenced at 2:30 p.m. March 11. He faces a presumptive commitment to prison for three years.