A Moorhead man forced another man to drink alcohol at gunpoint, threatened him with a pistol and then beat him alongside a rural road before the victim escaped and sought help at a nearby home.
Isaiah Exadrian Lee Rodriguez, 18, faces charges of 1st-degree aggravated robbery and 2nd-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, according to a complaint filed Friday in Clay County District Court.
According to court records, deputies responded to a Moorhead residence early on July 19 after the victim was found outside, bleeding from his mouth and face. The victim told deputies he had been “jumped” by people he knew through the victim’s friend and that his cell phone had been taken. The victim’s mother arrived and brought him to the hospital, where he was evaluated for injuries.
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The victim later described meeting up with a group at Romkey Park in Moorhead, then riding in a white Cadillac Escalade driven by a female. The group drove out of town onto a gravel road, where Rodriguez allegedly produced a Glock pistol with a brown extended magazine, threatened the victim and forced him to consume two shots of peppermint liqueur. Rodriguez then ordered the victim out of the vehicle, and the group punched and kicked him while he was on the ground.
The victim managed to run into a field and, while fleeing, heard at least two gunshots. He continued running until he reached a house with its porch lights on and asked for help. The victim’s mother later found his cell phone near a highway median barrier.
Investigators spoke with witnesses who confirmed Rodriguez’s involvement. A mandated reporter also contacted law enforcement after a juvenile reported seeing a Snapchat video in which Rodriguez forced the victim to repeatedly say “I’m a pedophile.” Another juvenile identified Rodriguez as the person responsible for the assault.
On July 23, a Moorhead police officer found Rodriguez sleeping in a silver SUV in Gooseberry Park with a female companion. Officers detained Rodriguez and took the vehicle as evidence. During an interview at the Clay County Jail, Rodriguez admitted to picking up the victim with others and driving toward rural South Moorhead.
A court date has not yet been set.
About This Charge
Minnesota distinguishes simple robbery (§ 609.24, up to 10 years) from aggravated robbery (§ 609.245), where a weapon or great bodily harm is alleged. First-degree aggravated robbery carries up to 20 years; second-degree up to 15. Carjacking is charged under § 609.247.
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