Windom man accused of breaking into home and stealing car – The Globe

WINDOM — Eduardo Rodriguez, 49, of Windom, is charged with second-degree burglary of a dwelling and burglary of a motor vehicle, both felonies, as well as a misdemeanor count of gross theft of property, following incidents that reportedly lasted from Nov. 4 to Nov. 1. 20.

According to a law enforcement report, a Windom Police Officer was called to a Windom residence following a report of a burglary. The reporting party/victim said their front door was broken into.

Upon arrival, an officer spoke with the victim, who stated that they had left earlier in the month to assist with disaster relief in a different state and had just returned that day, November 20. When they arrived at the house, they saw someone coming in. They entered their house by breaking the glass of the front door.

The victim examined the home and discovered several items were missing, including a laptop, a vehicle insurance card, and his vehicle. The victim said they left the vehicle keys by the front door. The victim shared that all of the items were valued at over $1,000.

Prior to the reported theft, another Windom Police Officer had arrested Rodriguez for another crime and searched him during the arrest. The officer reported finding a key fob matching the description of the victim’s vehicle. At the time, Rodriguez said the keys belonged to his late father, but the victim confirmed they belonged to them.

During the arrest, Rodriguez reportedly said he went to Morton to retrieve items from his brother related to his father’s inheritance, and the keys were one of those items. He said all his money was stolen while he was playing at a casino in Morton. He had driven a car to the Cottonwood County Law Enforcement Center the day before. The car matched the description the victim gave of his vehicle.

A search warrant was later obtained for Rodriguez’s apartment, and one of the items found during the search was the victim’s vehicle insurance card. Rodriguez was later arrested and sent to jail.

Rodriguez is scheduled to appear in Cottonwood County Fifth District Court on Dec. 3.

Note: This article was written based on information reported by local law enforcement. The Globe reminds readers that all individuals are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. To help protect the identity of the victim, all references to the victim have been changed to they/them.

Hope Moural is the Globe’s community editor as of May 2024. A born and raised Nebraskan, Hope holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communications from Concordia University in Nebraska and previously worked as a general assignment reporter.