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(ABC 6 News) – UPDATE: Robin Helmueller was sentenced Monday, July 22, to two years at the MN Correctional Facility in St. Cloud, and one year supervised release.
Helmueller received credit for 277 days spent in custody.
Olmsted County judge Kathy Wallace found that Helmueller was not amenable to probation during the hearing.
Helmueller’s defense attorney argued for a departure from prison time, instead asking for only probation, citing Helmueller’s previous lack of criminal record and struggles resulting from a serious car accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury.
At his April plea hearing, Helmueller admitted to trying to scare his apartment manager with his weapon – but had doubts the gunshot he fired was what caused her injury.
In court Monday, Helmueller said he “takes full responsibility” for the assault and is “truly sorry” for any injuries he caused.
However, when pressed further by the judge, he admitted he doesn’t fully understand the evidence against him and finds it confusing.
The judge gave Helmueller the maximum sentence allowed under his plea deal, though she did acknowledge the request in the victim impact statement, asking for a longer prison sentence.
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(ABC 6 News) – Recent court documents claim that a man who pleaded guilty in a Park Towers shooting argues that his gun did not cause a gunshot wound.
RELATED: Rochester police respond to shooting at apartment building – ABC 6 News – kaaltv.com
Olmsted County Court accepted Robin Helmueller’s guilty plea Friday, April 12.
The former Park Towers resident accused of shooting his apartment manager in the arm pleaded guilty to one of two 2nd-degree assault with a dangerous weapon charges.
A transcript of Helmueller’s plea hearing, made publicly available June 3, indicates that Helmueller argued, during his plea hearing, that his apartment manager was not injured by his gunshot.
According to the transcript, Helmueller specifically pleaded guilty to 2nd-degree assault–fear of bodily harm or death.
According to the transcript, Helmueller’s defense claimed the defendant understood that his gun went off, and understood the victim was injured — but could not testify that his bullet had gone into the woman’s arm and injured her.
His defense said Helmueller had his “own theories” about the woman’s injury, but did not detail any possible alternatives.
“Am I pleased with this, no,” the prosecuting attorney said in the transcript.
“If he wants to sit here and argue about whether or not that slug hit her or didn’t hit her, I think is kind of
inconsequential,” prosecuting attorney Derek Johnson continued. “It leaves me probably feeling empty and the victim feeling empty and I don’t think it’s going to benefit him moving forward.”
The transcript also confirms that while Minnesota sentencing guidelines recommend a 36-month sentence for a first offense, his plea agreement did not bind the court to any specific ruling.
Helmueller also described two severe car crashes, at least one of which resulted in a TBI or Traumatic Brain Injury, to Olmsted County judge Debra Jacobson in April, as ‘mitigating factors’ for his plea.
Helmueller’s sentencing was rescheduled for 1:30 p.m. July 1.
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The latest local, regional and national news events of the day are presented by the ABC 6 News Team, along with updated sports, weather and traffic.
The day's local, regional and national news, detailed events and late-breaking stories are presented by the ABC 6 News Team, along with the latest sports, weather updates including the extended forecast.
(ABC 6 News) – A former Park Towers resident accused of shooting his apartment manager entered a petition to plead guilty to one of two 2nd-degree assault with a dangerous weapon charges.
Robin Helmueller, 61, is scheduled to appear for a plea hearing April 12.
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(ABC 6 News) – Rochester police confirmed Monday that 61-year-old Robin Helmueller is accused of shooting his apartment manager Friday.
Law enforcement responded to Park Towers at 22 Broadway Avenue North around 11 a.m. Friday.
According to court documents filed Monday, Helmueller faces two charges of 2nd-degree assault with a dangerous weapon after allegedly shooting one woman in the arm and hitting another woman with the firearm itself.
RELATED: Rochester police respond to shooting at apartment building – ABC 6 News – kaaltv.com
According to Capt. Casey Moilanen, Helmueller had suspected a neighbor of stealing things from him, and damaged the neighbor’s door Thursday night in an attempt to enter the other apartment.
The manager called Helmueller to her office to tell him he was responsible for the replacement lock cost.
That’s when Helmueller allegedly pulled a black powder revolver — the type used in the Civil War, Moilanen said — out of his backpack and shot her in the left arm.
According to Moilanen, Helmueller tried to shoot the woman again, but the gun did not go off.
Two other staffers entered the office and held Helmueller down until Olmsted County deputies, then police arrived to take him into custody.
According to court documents, Helmueller struck one of the staffers with the revolver while she was trying to get the gun away from him.
The manager’s injury was not life-threatening, Moilanen said.
Helmueller’s bail was set at $1,000,000 Monday. He is scheduled to appear in Olmsted County Court again Nov. 14.
