Man, 47, sentenced for role in Isanti County fatal shooting during staged robbery
Court records show Jerold Downs of St. Paul, Minnesota, was given a 30-and-a-half-year prison sentence by an Isanti County judge on Monday afternoon, with credit for 599 days already served. He pleaded guilty in June to aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
The Minnesota Attorney General's Office prosecuted the case.
According to charges, Northfield, Minnesota, resident Fredy Saavedra Olivar hired three men — Downs, Abraham Alexander Houle and Jesse Rodrigues — to rob a "stash house" in Spencer Brook Township that had money and drugs. Olivar said he would get out of a "very large debt to a cartel organization" by staging the robbery, and agreed to split the money taken with the three men.
Downs, Houle and Rodrigues allegedly entered the house dressed as police officers on the morning of Dec. 13, 2023. Witnesses told police one of the men held a gun to the head of someone in the house and attempted to tie him up when shots were fired. Police tracked down and arrested Downs later that day.
Jose De Jesus Diaz Fernandes died in the shooting. Officers saw casings that appeared to be from a handgun and long gun near his body.
Olivar was sentenced in February to 30-and-a-half years in prison for second-degree murder and first-degree burglary. Houle pleaded guilty in May and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 2.
Houle has pleaded not guilty to one count of second-degree unintentional murder, one count of second-degree unintentional murder while committing a felony, first-degree burglary of an occupied dwelling and first-degree burglary with a dangerous weapon. His trial is set to begin on Aug. 11.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
15 minutes ago
- CBS News
St. Paul police recover Suni Lee sculpture plaque, but bust still missing
Police in St. Paul are still looking for the thief who stole a sculpture meant to honor a hometown hero. Officials say someone stole the bronze bust of Olympic gymnast Suni Lee from Phalen Regional Park last week. On Monday, police confirmed they had pulled the granite plaque from a nearby lake. The artist behind the statue is Seexeng Lee, one of Suni Lee's family members. He says the theft happened on the two-year anniversary of the bust's unveiling. "What are the odds?" said Seexeng Lee. "Then when the photo got to me my jaw dropped. I'm like, no, can it be?" Seexeng Lee had worked in secret to surprise Suni Lee with the piece two years ago. He hoped the statue would spark pride in the east side community she came from. "I try so hard to to use art as a vehicle to capture that essence of community through Suni, and that's why it hurts when it's like no this piece is about Suni but it's not just about her it's about us," he said. Seexeng Lee has ideas for what could come next. But he's still holding out hope police will find the original. "I think all of us are still hoping for full recovery and nothing's damaged to it and we could put it back and make it better than before," he said. St. Paul police are asking if anyone saw something to give them a call. Note: The above video first aired on Aug. 1, 2025.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
St. Paul mayoral race: Melvin Carter files for re-election
The Brief St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter announced Monday he's running for re-election in November. He's seeking his third term. State Rep. Kaohly Vang her also announced she's running for mayor. St. Paul uses ranked-choice voting, and mayors serve four-year terms without limits. ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The City of St. Paul will elect its next mayor in a Nov. 4, 2025 election. On Monday, Melvin Carter officially filed for re-election. Melvin Carter files What we know Carter will be seeking his third term as the leader of St. Paul. He replaced Chris Coleman in 2017 after Coleman, who had the seat since 2006, decided not to run for a fourth term. In 2017, Carter earned 50.86% of the vote over Pat Harris and Dai Thao. In 2021, Carter earned 61.63% of the vote to beat out Dino Guerin, Paul Langenfeld and Bill Hosko and earn his second term. Mayor Carter's office says his next campaign will focus on getting tools to address the fentanyl crisis, ensure safe and accessible public spaces, get better pay for union jobs, continue revitalizing downtown and providing quality housing. Carter is currently leading the City of St. Paul through a cyberattack that has impacted internal systems and forced residents to go to city offices in-person for permits and to make payments that are normally electronic. Rep. Kaohly Vang Her announces run Why you should care Carter will have some competition, as State Rep. Kaohly Vang Her on Monday announced her run for St. Paul mayor. The 52-year-old worked for Carter as a policy director in his first term as mayor. Her is now a State Rep. in District 64A of the Minnesota Legislature, which includes the Macalester-Groveland, Cathedral Hill, Lexington-Hamilton and Merriam Park neighborhoods. She made headlines in June, when during the legislative session she said on the floor, "My family broke the law to come here." She was referencing MinnesotaCare cuts to undocumented immigrants. The comment fueled speculation she was undocumented, but she is a U.S. citizen who was a Hmong refugee from Laos in the 1970s. She became a naturalized citizen in junior high school. How the election works Dig deeper St. Paul chooses its mayor through ranked-choice voting. Mayors serve four-year terms, and there are no term limits. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Driver rammed into crowd outside Hollywood club, then was shot. Alleged shooter now under arrest
Police have arrested a man accused of shooting the driver who allegedly rammed into a crowd of people outside an East Hollywood nightclub last month, injuring dozens. Fernando Ramirez, 29, of San Clemente, was thrown out of the Vermont Hollywood nightclub on July 19 and returned in a car around 2 a.m., allegedly plowing his Nissan sedan into a crowd of street vendors and pedestrians before his vehicle slammed into food carts and finally came to a stop, according to Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman. Ramirez was then pulled from the car and punched and kicked by bystanders, authorities said. As nightclub security guards tried to detain Ramirez, Efrain Villalobos, a Lawndale resident, allegedly approached from across the street and shot Ramirez once in the lower back before fleeing, police said. More than two weeks later, Villalobos has been arrested. He was taken into custody Sunday around 1:15 p.m. by officers from the Redondo Beach Police Department, according to L.A. police. After the shooting, police released video surveillance images and a physical description of the shooter and asked the public's help in identifying him. Police did not say whether a tip from the public led to Villalobos' arrest. Read more: Police search for man suspected of shooting driver who slammed into crowd outside East Hollywood club Villalobos was booked on an attempted murder charge and was being held without bail, police said. At least 36 people were injured in the incident, some of whom were trapped under the car until authorities arrived, Hochman said. Eight of the victims suffered 'serious fractures, lacerations and broken bones.' Ramirez faces life in prison if convicted as charged, according to Hochman. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
