Gerardo Rodriguez, 32, has been sentenced to 28 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for the murder of Michael Mills.
The incident occurred on August 31, 2023, around 10:30 p.m. Mills and his friend Brittany Bass were returning to Mills’ apartment after he attempted to sell his car. Bass stopped in the parking lot, and Rodriguez, a neighbor, pulled around her vehicle and confronted them about moving their car. Mills and Rodriguez had known each other previously, but Rodriguez did not recognize Mills and Bass.
Mills tried to calm Rodriguez, but the argument escalated, and Mills challenged him to a fight. During a brief altercation on a nearby grassy area, Rodriguez pulled out a knife and stabbed Mills in the chest. Mills was unarmed and did not make physical contact with Rodriguez.
Rodriguez fled the scene and disposed of the knife but later turned himself in and gave a voluntary statement to police, which contradicted his self-defense claim.
Despite having only a prior misdemeanor DWI, Rodriguez was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to 28 years in prison with a maximum fine.
