An 18-year-old Minnesota man is facing a second-degree murder charge after investigators linked him to the fatal shooting of a 53-year-old landscaping business owner whose body was discovered near a hiking trail in Shakopee.
Emilio Vallejo Ortiz, of Brooklyn Center, was arrested on October 6 in connection with the killing. The victim, whose identity has not been publicly released, was found the previous evening in Wilkie Park, about 25 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
According to the criminal complaint, three people walking through the park discovered the man lying in a ditch approximately 30 feet from the trail. Responding officers noticed dried blood on his face and signs that his body had been dragged into the surrounding weeds.
Investigators found blood on the trail, drag marks and several 9 mm ammunition casings near the body. An additional casing was recovered farther away after hikers reportedly picked it up and tossed it off the path. An autopsy later determined that the victim had suffered four gunshot wounds.
Surveillance Footage Raises Questions About Teen’s Account
The investigation took a significant turn when detectives examined the victim’s movements and his relationship with Ortiz.
The victim owned a landscaping business and employed Ortiz, who reportedly worked with him during the week and helped with landscaping jobs on weekends. According to investigators, the teenager also had access to the man’s vehicles and occasionally stayed at his apartment.
Police learned that the victim had reported a break-in at his apartment on October 3, one day before his body was discovered. Officers subsequently found damage to the apartment door, adding another detail to the investigation.
When detectives questioned Ortiz, he reportedly denied driving the victim’s 2023 Ford Raptor on the day in question. He also told investigators that the victim had dropped him off at a shopping center that afternoon.
However, surveillance footage allegedly contradicted that account.
Investigators say video recorded at a Menards home improvement store in Burnsville showed Ortiz driving the Raptor with the victim sitting in the passenger seat. The two men entered the store, selected a door lock and left together shortly after 5:30 p.m., with Ortiz again behind the wheel.
The footage gave investigators a clearer picture of the men’s movements in the hours before the victim was found dead.
Cellphone Data Places Both Men Near the Park
Investigators also examined cellphone location records to establish a timeline.
According to the criminal complaint, the victim’s phone registered near the area where his body was eventually discovered at approximately 5:37 p.m. on October 3. The device reportedly remained in that vicinity afterward.
Ortiz’s cellphone was also placed near Wilkie Park later that afternoon. Investigators said its location data showed the device in the vicinity of the crime scene for roughly 20 minutes.
When detectives confronted Ortiz with the surveillance footage and cellphone records, he allegedly said he did not remember that day.
Police arrested him on October 6 after questioning him about the inconsistencies in his account.
Investigators Find Truck and Messages During Search
The investigation continued with searches connected to the victim’s missing vehicle and Ortiz’s residence.
The Ford Raptor was reportedly found unoccupied in an apartment parking lot about 1.1 miles from Ortiz’s home. Investigators also recovered a key to the truck from a desk containing the teenager’s personal documents, according to the complaint.
A preliminary review of Ortiz’s cellphone uncovered additional information that investigators considered relevant. The complaint says the device contained searches related to Glock handguns on September 28, September 30, October 3 and October 4.
Police also reportedly found a translated message from September 28 that read, “Get me a Glock, buddy.”
Authorities had not located the firearm as of October 9, according to the available investigative details. Searches reportedly included the use of dogs and other efforts to examine the area around the park.
The evidence described in the complaint includes surveillance footage, cellphone location information, the recovered vehicle and material found on the defendant’s phone. Investigators have not publicly established a motive for the killing.
Teen Remains in Custody as Case Moves Forward
Ortiz has been charged with one count of second-degree murder and is being held in the Scott County Jail. His bail was reported at $2 million.
During questioning, he denied owning a gun and rejected a suggestion made by the victim’s sister that the two men had been romantically involved.
The victim’s family has not been publicly identified in full, and authorities have not released his name in the available reports.
The case now moves through the Minnesota court system, where prosecutors will need to establish the allegations against Ortiz. The criminal complaint outlines investigators’ account of the events, but the charge itself is not proof of guilt.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting, including what may have led to the confrontation and where the firearm used in the killing might be, remain unresolved as the legal proceedings continue.
