Four people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 49-year-old man at the St. Johnsbury apartment house where he lived, according to Vermont State Police.
Rafael Rodriguez, 34, of St. Johnsbury was arrested Tuesday on charges of first-degree murder, assault, robbery, and burglary of an occupied dwelling in the death last month of Israel Jimenez Lugo.
Three other people arrested Tuesday include:
— Natasha Cady, 29, of Barton, charged with aiding in the commission of first-degree murder, aiding in the commission of assault and robbery, and aiding in the commission of burglary into an occupied dwelling;
— Brittany Clark, 33, of St. Johnsbury, charged with aiding in the commission of first-degree murder, aiding in the commission of assault and robbery, and burglary into an occupied dwelling;
— Michael Ringuette, 55, of St. Johnsbury, charged with aiding in the commission of first-degree murder, burglary into an occupied dwelling, and unlawful restraint.
Ringuette and Cady were arraigned at court hearings Wednesday, with Ringuette appearing via video from the Northeast Correctional Complex in St. Johnsbury and Cady in person at Caledonia County Court. They each pleaded not guilty.
Judge Justin Jiron, who took part via video from a courthouse in Essex County, agreed to prosecutors’ request to hold Ringuette without bail while Cady was held for lack of $50,000 bail.
According to the judge, Clark was not arraigned Wednesday because she needed to be transported to the hospital for an unknown reason. Because transport officials were tied up with Clark, they couldn’t bring Rodriguez to court for his arraignment, which was delayed until Thursday. He’s being held without bail until that hearing.
According to charging documents filed in the cases, the four suspects are accused of being involved in an operation to buy and sell illegal drugs. The documents allege they took part in a plan to rob Jimenez Lugo, which happened the night of Dec. 13-14, in which Rodriguez allegedly shot Jimenez Lugo at his apartment on Hastings Street.
An autopsy performed Dec. 15 at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington determined Jimenez Lugo’s death was caused by a gunshot wound to the torso, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
The charging documents outline steps investigators took during their homicide probe, which included obtaining video surveillance images from nearby residences and taking several witness statements, including from those who were charged.
According to the charging documents, the four allegedly planned to rob Jimenez Lugo on the night of the fatal shooting, assigning Cady the role of driver.
According to the documents, Ringuette told investigators that Clark’s assignment was to go into Jimenez Lugo’s apartment and buy $20 worth of drugs from him, while his own role was to make sure a woman who lived at the apartment was not hurt.
Once Clark left the apartment, Ringuette said he and Rodriguez entered the building. Ringuette said he took the woman who lived there to the ground outside the apartment door, then jumped down and “sat on her” so she couldn’t move.
Ringuette told investigators he remembered seeing Rodriguez standing at the top of the landing when the shots were fired, and he recalled Jimenez Lugo’s apartment door being open because he could see the light from the apartment shining into the hallway.
After the shooting, they all made their way back to the vehicle and fled, the charging documents stated.
Dan Sedon, an attorney representing Ringuette, argued against the prosecution’s request to hold his client without bail. Sedon contended that the charging documents did not specify that Ringuette knew that a shooting was going to take place and that a person would be killed.
“I don’t see anywhere in the affidavit facts alleging first-degree murder by anyone,” Sedon said. “I don’t see any evidence that someone went there with the plan to commit a murder.”
The judge said he found probable cause for the charge, and the case could go forward at least for now.
David Sleigh, an attorney representing Rodriguez, said his client had a right to be transported for his arraignment.
“Arraignments are supposed to be done in-person,” Sleigh said. “I would think that somebody’s getting arraigned on a charge of first-degree murder that those basic rights could be afforded.”
However, Sleigh said that “with understandable disgruntlement,” he was aware that his client would continue to be held while awaiting his arraignment Thursday.
