On April 5, 2026 at approximately 2:25 A.M., officers received a delayed call for service involving a gun pointing incident. Officers spoke with Victim 1 by phone who stated that she and Victim 2 were hanging out at Victim 2’s residence. While there, another resident, EDUARDO GAYTAN CARDENAS [DOB REDACTED] pointed a handgun at them after a joke was made about GAYTAN CARDENAS’ sexuality. Victim 1 said that GAYTAN CARDENAS stated he had to “establish dominance” and then grabbed a black handgun from a desk drawer and pointed it at Victim 1 and Victim 2. Victim 1 stated that the gun was extended out toward them at about chest level.
Victim 1 stated that she felt terrified and that she believed she was going to be shot. Officers contacted Victim 2, who was still inside the residence, and asked her to meet officers a short distance away. While speaking with officers, Victim 2 stated that she and Victim 1 were at her residence in the City of Inver Grove Heights, County of Dakota, State of Minnesota around 1:20 A.M. On April 5. GAYTAN CARDENAS was present as well and was playing video games on a computer at a desk. Victim 2 made a joke at GAYTAN CARDENAS’ expense and in response, GAYTAN CARDENAS grabbed a black handgun off of the desk, pointed it at her, and told her to shut up.
Victim 2 told officers she felt fearful, and that GAYTAN CARDENAS regularly makes aggressive actions but then will play it off as a joke. Based on information that GAYTAN CARDENAS had access to multiple firearms inside the residence, officers waited until GAYTAN CARDENAS left the residence in a vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. GAYTAN CARDENAS was placed under arrest and after waiving his Miranda rights denied the incident. GAYTAN CARDENAS admitted to making a comment about “establishing dominance,” but told officers he was speaking about the video game he was playing.
GAYTAN CARDENAS admitted to officers that he kept a handgun on the same desk has his computer and gave officers permission to enter the residence and retrieve the firearm. Officers separately received permission from another occupant of the residence and were able to recover a black handgun in a holster on GAYTAN CARDENAS’ desk. The handgun was loaded at the time it was recovered.
