Windom man charged with entering home, stealing car – The Globe

WINDOM — Eduardo Rodriguez, 49, of Windom, is charged with second-degree residential burglary and motor vehicle theft, both felonies, as well as a gross misdemeanor count of theft of property following incidents that reportedly spanned Nov. 4 through Nov. 30. 20.

According to the law enforcement report, a Windom police officer was called to a residence in Windom 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 said he had left earlier this month to help with disaster relief efforts in another state and had just returned that day, November 20. When they arrived home, they saw that someone had gained entry into their house by breaking a window in the front door.

The victim walked through the home and discovered several items missing, including a laptop, a car insurance card and his vehicle. The victim reported leaving the vehicle keys at the front door. The victim reported that the value of all the items was over $1,000.

Prior to the reported burglary, another Windom police officer had arrested Rodriguez for a separate crime and searched him during the arrest. Officers reported finding a key fob that matched the description of the victim’s vehicle. At the time, Rodriguez said the keys belonged to his late father, but the victim confirmed the keys belonged to him.

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

A search warrant was then obtained for Rodriguez’s apartment and, among other things, the victim’s vehicle insurance card was found during the search. Rodriguez was then arrested and taken 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 people are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. All references to the victim have been changed to “she” to protect the victim’s identity.

Hope Moural has been the Globe’s community editor since May 2024. Hope was born and raised in Nebraska, holds a double bachelor’s degree in journalism and communications from Concordia University, Nebraska, and previously worked as a general assignment reporter.