On the cold morning of February 1, 2021, the body of a White/Caucasian male, 38-year-old Bryant Jon Lutgens of Burnsville, Minnesota, was discovered in a snowbank in Inver Grove Heights. A 911 caller had reported the discovery on the 1300 block of 60th Street West, initiating a homicide investigation. An autopsy later confirmed that Lutgens had died from a gunshot wound to the head. He was found without any identification or his cell phone.
Investigators learned that on the night of January 31, 2021, Lutgens had been visiting a friend in Bloomington. He had left his friend's home around 10:30 p.m., stating he needed to pick up some money. This was the last time he was seen alive by his friend. The investigation into his death quickly focused on a man named Gabriel Alfonso Sanchez Cruz, a 42-year-old from Minneapolis. It was revealed that a woman had connected Lutgens with Cruz for the purpose of a methamphetamine transaction.
Cruz later confessed to the woman that he had intended to rob Lutgens. During the robbery, a struggle ensued over Lutgens' backpack, causing Lutgens to fall. Cruz then shot him and fled with his belongings in Lutgens' rented Jeep. Inver Grove Heights police issued an alert for the vehicle, which was located in Minneapolis on February 3, 2021, thanks to the rental company's tracking system.
A police pursuit followed, during which a 9mm semi-automatic handgun was thrown from the vehicle. This weapon was later recovered and determined to be the murder weapon. After crashing the Jeep in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, Cruz and two other occupants attempted to flee on foot but were quickly apprehended by Minneapolis police. Gabriel Alfonso Sanchez Cruz was arrested and charged with second-degree intentional murder. He was later convicted of first-degree murder while committing aggravated robbery and second-degree murder. A Dakota County judge sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
Three other men were also charged for their roles in the crime. Jason Beck pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting first-degree aggravated robbery, and Kyle Reagan pleaded guilty to aiding an offender. Another accomplice, Ryan Whitman, pleaded guilty to aiding an offender and accessory after the fact.
