INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. — A jury convicted a Minneapolis man Wednesday in connection to a deadly shooting last year in Inver Grove Heights.
According to a press release from the Dakota County Attorney's Office, Gabriel Alfonso Sanchez Cruz, 44, was convicted of first- and second-degree murder after Bryant Jon Lutgens, of Burnsville, was found dead in a snowbank on Feb. 1, 2021.
The criminal complaint says Lutgens was visiting a family friend in Bloomington the night before at around 10 p.m. After visiting, Lutgens left in a Jeep what was later determined to be a rental.
Two days later, police made contact with the rental company, which was able to track the vehicle to a location in Minneapolis. When officers located the vehicle, they attempted to make a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle didn't pull over and a short pursuit occurred. During the pursuit, a gun was thrown from the vehicle before it crashed. Three people, including Cruz, then fled on foot.
A witness later came forward and said that Cruz admitted to shooting Lutgens while attempting to rob him.
Cruz's sentencing date is set for 9 a.m. on July 12, 2022 in Hastings.
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