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Minnesota Man Pleads Not Guilty, Faces Jury Trial After Sac County Pursuit
A 43-year-old Minnesota man is headed to trial in Sac County after entering not guilty pleas to multiple felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from a December pursuit.
Court records show Juan Roberto Rodriguez of Jackson, Minnesota, is charged with eluding, a controlled substance violation, and operating while under the influence following an incident on Dec. 15, 2025. A Sac County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop a 2009 Chevrolet Impala driven by Rodriguez, but authorities say he fled the scene, traveling north of Early on Karr Avenue before heading west on U.S. Highway 20.
The pursuit continued into Storm Lake, where Rodriguez was eventually taken into custody. During a search of the vehicle, deputies reportedly located more than six grams of methamphetamine along with drug paraphernalia. Investigators say Rodriguez declined to complete field sobriety testing and refused to provide a urine sample, while allegedly admitting to having methamphetamine and marijuana in his system.
Rodriguez is charged with possession of a controlled substance, a class B felony; eluding at speeds exceeding 25 miles per hour over the limit, a class D felony; and first-offense operating while intoxicated, a serious misdemeanor. He also faces five scheduled violations, including driving without a valid license and failure to obey a stop or yield sign.
A jury trial is scheduled for March 3 at the Sac County Courthouse. If convicted on all counts, Rodriguez could face more than 30 years in prison and fines exceeding $12,000.
Court records also indicate Rodriguez has an active arrest warrant out of Dickinson County for probation violations. He was previously sentenced to two years of probation in that case for failure to affix a drug tax stamp and a controlled substance offense.
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