An Eden Prairie man faces charges of second-degree murder following a fatal shooting last month outside a Minneapolis bar and restaurant, according to court documents.
Juan Josue Canario Robles, 21, is accused of the Dec. 16 shooting that resulted in the death of Franclin Ignacio Orellana, 44, of Blaine.
The charges against Robles consist of two counts of second-degree murder: one with intent but not premeditated, and the other without intent while committing a felony. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 40 years.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court, Minneapolis police responded to a shooting near Conga Latin Bistro, located in the 500 block of Hennepin Avenue E. Upon arrival, officers found a man administering CPR to Orellana, who had suffered a gunshot wound to the head and later succumbed to his injuries at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Police interviewed a witness who accompanied Orellana to the restaurant at about 10 p.m. The witness described an encounter where Robles accused him of dancing with Robles’ girlfriend and then punched him, which caused him to leave the restaurant.
The witness reported that the suspect followed him outside, pointed a gun at his chest, and made threats. Security personnel witnessed this interaction and instructed Robles to stop, but he punched the witness again, and the two began to wrestle. Subsequently, the suspect got into a vehicle and began to drive away. Orellana reportedly started chasing the vehicle. The witness pursued Orellana and heard what he believed to be a gunshot.
During the investigation, the witness informed authorities that he saw Robles point a gun at Orellana and shoot him.
Officers spoke to the owner of Conga, who provided a phone number for the suspect, leading to the identification of Robles. On Dec. 19, the witness who was present with Orellana at the club identified Robles as the shooter in a photo lineup.
Robles was arrested on Dec. 21 at his apartment, where officers recovered a 9 mm pistol along with various ammunition.
According to the criminal complaint, Robles’ girlfriend stated the witness approached her on the dance floor, making her uncomfortable, which led her to inform Robles. She said that after they left, Robles returned to Conga to use the restroom, leaving her in the car. Upon his return, he described a confrontation with the witness. As they were driving away, she heard banging on the car and retrieved her gun from the glove box. She said Robles grabbed the gun from her and shot out the window.
Robles recounted confronting the witness inside Conga, resulting in a scuffle broken up by security. As he left the venue, he claimed the witness hit him from behind. Throughout the evening, he reported multiple altercations with the witness. While driving away with his girlfriend, Robles stated that the witness and Orellana ran toward their car. Seeing his girlfriend aim the gun over her shoulder at Orellana, Robles said he took the firearm and shot at Orellana.
Initially, Robles’ girlfriend claimed responsibility for discarding the gun in the river, but later she asserted that Robles was the one who did it. Robles said that it was his girlfriend who disposed of the gun off a bridge.
Robles is currently in custody. He is scheduled to appear in court for an omnibus hearing at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16.
Comments
We offer several ways for our readers to provide feedback. Your comments are welcome on our social media posts (Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn). We also encourage Letters to the Editor; submission guidelines can be found on our Contact Us page. If you believe this story has an error or you would like to get in touch with the author, please connect with us.