Star Tribune
33 years for killing of man at Howard Lake company where shooter, wife, victim worked
A man has received a prison term topping 33 years for a killing outside a Wright County business where the shooter, his wife and the victim worked.
Kevin Uriel Zelaya Asencio, 24, of Glencoe, Minn., was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to second-degree intentional murder and second-degree assault in connection with the March 2023 shooting of Adrian Montano Medina in the parking lot of the Dura Supreme cabinet manufacturing company in Howard Lake.
With credit for time in jail since his arrest, Zelaya Asencio is expected to serve the first 21 years of his 33-year term in prison and the balance on supervised release.
The County Attorney’s Office said it based its criminal complaint on interviews with witnesses and Zelaya Asencio, along with physical evidence and surveillance video.
Numerous calls to 911 reported the shooting, including one from a woman screaming. One caller gave law enforcement the license plate of a pickup truck that Zelaya Asencio drove from the parking lot.
Police arrived and found Medina in the driver’s seat of a pickup truck with a fatal gunshot wound to his head.
Minutes later, a sheriff’s deputy spotted Zelaya Asencio’s pickup traveling on Hwy. 12 in Waverly. Zelaya Asencio was arrested, and the deputy found an AR-15 assault-style rifle in the pickup.
Star Tribune
Western officials suspect Russia was behind a plot to put incendiary packages on cargo planes
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday called media reports about the alleged sabotage plot an example of a ”vague fabrication.”
Associated Press writers Jill Lawless and Danica Kirka in London, Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, Aamer Madhani in Washington, D.C., :and Liudas Dapkus in Vilnius, Lithuania, contributed.
Now, at age 65, he continues to ride a one-wheeler and teaches people of all ages, from elementary kids to adults in their 50s and up. As he ages, Lee said he’s not as concerned as his peers about everyday falls, a leading cause of injury for older adults.
“Unicyclists are well-balanced people,” he said.
The fundamentals of better balance are just one reason unicyclists dedicate themselves to the sport. Some enjoy the small community, the team sports and international competitions that revolve around the club. Others enjoy conquering a challenge that most are unwilling to try.
Although one wheel may not seem practical to many, there can be some unique advantages. Unicycles offer more precise control and better change of direction than bikes, said Hansen, 59, who commuted to work daily on a unicycle with a 36-inch wheel for 10 years even during the winter. Such a large wheel can traverse potholes and curbs more easily. Without a chain or brakes, nothing can get clogged up with snow or salt in the winter.
Dan Hansen, 59, rides his 36-inch unicycle through Minneapolis’ North Loop. Before retiring recently, Hansen commuted to work year-round on a unicycle and said it offered several advantages to bicycling. (Elliot Hughes)
Even crashes are simpler. When balance is lost, the unicycle shoots out from underneath and the rider typically lands on their feet.
“Proportionality is a big deal for me,” Hansen said. “I find it sad that so much of our culture is about small people in big vehicles. We surround ourselves with tons of material. A human on a 20-pound vehicle? That’s awesome.”
Q: What’s the most satisfying part of the show?
A: Frankly, it’s to run into people in the community that listen to the show. Because when you start anything new, you don’t have a name. I had to beg people to come on the show when I first started, just because it wasn’t a known commodity. Now, with people listening, my guests come back and tell me that they ran into somebody who heard them on the show. I got about 200,000 listeners a week.
Q: What is the most interesting issue you’re following now?
A: The presidential election, because we could be having the first Native American governor [Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, if Harris and Walz win].
Q: And you’re looking at starting an ad agency?
A: Yeah. We’re going to be opening up an ad agency, to be able to produce stuff and expand slowly. Because there is a need out there. Some of my advertising comes from BIPOC ad agencies. And there is no Native ad agency out there that people can go directly to. And my wife and I have started this [pop-up] store at Dayton’s [Native Roots Trading Post].
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Looking for a winter activity? Consider unicycling, a Twin Cities pastime
Why some 2024 final election results won’t be in by end of Election Day
Western officials suspect Russia was behind a plot to put incendiary packages on cargo planes