Charges, details of case against two teenagers released in court

By KAALTV

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(ABC 6 News) – Olmsted County court documents detail the week-long investigation into the Northern Valley Drive NE shooting in Rochester Aug. 31, as well as the charges against two teenagers arrested Wednesday and Thursday.

Eighteen-year-olds Raul James Rios and Lebron Benson Giwa were arrested after Rochester police delivered search warrants to two homes in the 6800 block of Chester Heights Drive SE, PIO Amanda Grayson said Thursday. Both appeared in court for the first time Friday, Sept. 8.

Two juveniles, ages 14 and 16, were also arrested, according to Rochester police. The names of juveniles charged with crimes are not public information.

Rios faces one felony charge of drive-by shooting toward a person, while Giwa faces a felony charge of aiding and abetting a drive-by shooting toward a person.
Rochester police said last week that an officer in the area of Bowlocity heard shots fired and responded first to the street where the drive-by shooting took place.

Raul Rios (left) and Lebron Giwa (right) / Olmsted County Adult Detention Center

According to court documents, that officer was responding to a report that people were fighting in the North Broadway business’ parking lot. When he arrived, the altercation had moved — but he heard gunfire from the direction of Northern Valley Drive NE.

According to court documents, officers who responded to the Aug. 31 shooting on Northern Valley Drive identified a single home that had been targeted by a white Camaro and grey Audi, with gunfire coming from both cars.

There were six victims who were shot at, but not hit inside the home, according to court documents.

While officers spoke to the homeowners, a woman approached and told police her son had been involved in a fight against the owners of the Camaro and Audi at Bowlocity shortly before, and they had followed him to the street, police reports claim.

A school resource officer at Century High School was allegedly able to identify the participants in the fight, and had seen the two juveniles threaten the woman’s son toward the end of the schoolday Thursday.

Rochester Public Schools director of communications Mamisoa Knutson said that because the shooting had occurred outside of school hours and away from the Century High School building, RPS had no comment on the matter.

The SRO allegedly spoke to the woman’s son after the shooting, who said he’d gotten a message from one of the juveniles and was told to fight him in the Bowlocity parking lot.

According to court documents, Bowlocity surveillance video showed three cars arrive in the parking lot — a white Camaro, driven by Rios, carrying one of the juveniles who fistfought the woman’s son.

The Audi, driven by Giwa, arrived with the other juvenile who was later arrested.

According to court documents, police watching the surveillance video noted that Rios held onto a satchel that could have been an improvised holster, and the juvenile who was not involved in the fistfight reached for and held his waistband, in ways that suggested they were armed.

According to the surveillance footage, the Camaro and Audi followed the other car toward Northern Valley Drive NE at a high rate of speed.

Witnesses to the shooting allegedly identified Rios as one shooter, and the juvenile who reached for and held something at his waistband as the alleged shooters, according to Rios’ court documents.

According to court documents, Giwa admitted to driving the Audi during the shooting at one point, and the juvenile in his car told law enforcement he held onto a firearm meant for the other, non-identified teenager.

Bail for Rios and Giwa was set at $500,000 each.

Rios’ next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 20. Giwa’s next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 21.

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(ABC 6 News) – Rochester police took four teenagers into custody Wednesday and Thursday, in connection with the shooting at Northern Valley Drive NE last week.

According to PIO Amanda Grayson, police delivered search warrants at two homes in the 6800 block of Chester Heights Drive SE Wednesday, where they claim they found gun parts, as well as a vehicle that was allegedly shot during the incident.

According to police, they arrested 18-year-old Raul Rios of Chester, MN and a 16-year-old boy Wednesday, then 18-year-old Lebron Benson Giwa of Rochester and a 14-year-old boy Thursday morning.

All four face recommended charges of drive-by shooting, 2nd-degree assault with dangerous weapon, and reckless discharge of a firearm, Grayson said.

Police expect further arrests and charges, Grayson added.