May Township Shooting Suspect Arrested, Charged: Officials

WASHINGTON COUNTY, MN — Police have arrested and charged a man in connection with a shooting that occurred in May Township earlier this month. Luis Alfredo Cortez Mendoza, 23, was taken into custody Saturday and charged with two counts of attempted murder following his initial court appearance Monday.

Mendoza is charged in connection to an incident that took place in the early-morning hours of June 9 when a woman was found shot in the middle of a May Township roadway. Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to the scene near Saint Croix Trail North and 124th Street North, where they discovered the woman had suffered from a gunshot wound.

The victim was transported to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where she was treated for her injuries.

Mendoza was charged with one count of attempted first-degree murder for the benefit of a gang, attempted second-degree murder for the benefit of a gang and kidnapping for the benefit of a gang. His bail was set at $2 million. Mendoza’s next appearance in Washington County District Court is scheduled for Monday, June 24, at 9 a.m.

The shooting was the second to happen in May Township this month, according to reports. On June 2, the body of Jose Natividad Genis Cuate, 47, of Minneapolis, was discovered in a wetland area about 10 miles northwest of where the woman was located. Cuate died as a result of homicide, officials told the Pioneer Press.

RELATED: Woman Shot, Found Near Stillwater: Investigation 'Developing'