7 hours ago
Worthington man charged with multiple felonies for assault
Jun. 22—WORTHINGTON — Rodrigo Narviez Esparza, 37, of Worthington, is charged with three felonies including third degree assault, domestic assault and threats of violence, plus a gross misdemeanor of fourth degree assault following a June 7 incident in Worthington.
According to the law enforcement report, various Worthington Police Officers responded to Sanford Worthington Medical Center following the report of an assault taking place.
Upon arrival, officers met with the victim who had a laceration on their upper lip and was trying to stop it from bleeding and they appeared to be distressed. There was also fresh bruising on their arms and face and their right arm was in a cast.
The victim reportedly stated that their roommate, identified as Narvies Esparza, had punched them in the face without warning earlier that day while they were both at their apartment in Worthington.
According to the report, Narvies Esparza threatened to "have people kill" the victim if they told anyone about the assault. They shared that Narvies Esparza had supposedly given people information about them and they "had the green light to be looking for" the victim now. The victim stated they were scared to return to the apartment.
The victim also shared that Narvies Esparza had assaulted them numerous times within the past year, allegedly breaking their tooth and thumb during prior incidents. The victim reported that Narvies Esparza was always starting fights by calling them by derogatory names
They also shared that in the summer of 2024, Narvies Esparza allegedly held a gun to their chest and threatened to kill them. The officer who interviewed the victim observed that they seemed very reluctant to share this information, as they believed they would be killed for talking to law enforcement. The victim appeared very upset and scared, it was noted in the report.
Hospital staff reportedly treated the victim with stitches due to the deep cut on their lip where a tooth had cut through. Medical staff advised officers the victim had numerous other wounds that were in varying stages of healing.
Narvies Esparza was located outside the apartment building a short while later and was arrested and transported to jail. According to the report, he has two other assault convictions.
Narvies Esparza was scheduled to appear Monday in Nobles County Fifth District Court.
Note: This article was written based on information reported by local law enforcement agencies. The Globe reminds readers that all individuals are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The Southwest Crisis Center is available in our community to support and empower survivors of sexual and domestic violence. For questions about services or how you can help, contact the Southwest Crisis Center at 1-800-376-4311 or
. The SWCC also serves Cottonwood, Rock, Murray, Jackson, Pipestone, Lyon, Lincoln, Redwood, Renville and Yellow Medicine counties. All references to the victim have been changed to they/them to help protect the victim's identity.
