Update: Suspect Charged With Second-Degree Murder And Assault in Bemidji
On Friday, February 21st, 18-year-old Antonio Vincente Parkhurst was charged with second-degree murder in the death of 20-year-old Lupe Rosillo, as well as second-degree assault on a 17-year-old man in an arraignment hearing in Bemidiji. Parkhurst has a bail set at $100,000 with conditions and is due in court on Monday March 2nd, before Judge Annie Claesson-Huseby.
According to a criminal complaint, on February 17th at approximately 10:30 p.m., Bemidji police officers responded to multiple gunshots at 1114 Minnesota Avenue NW in Bemidji. Upon arrival, officers observed a male lying on the ground in the front walkway of the house. Officers determined that 20 year old Lupe Rosillo was deceased. Officers spoke with a witness who stated that she was present in the residence earlier and that Lupe Rosillo, another male, and 18 year old Antonio Parkhurst were inside the home. The witness stated that she was not present in the room when she heard two gunshots go off. When the witness ran out of the house she found Lupe Rosillo in the front yard and called 911.
While police officers were investigating they received a call from the Sanford Emergency Room reporting that a 17 year old male was being treated for a gunshot wound. Officers met with the male who reported that he was “jumped” by Parkhurst in the alleyway behind the residence of 1114 Minnesota Avenue. He reported that Parkhurst “robbed” him at gunpoint and shot him with a handgun. He stated that he fled and called his brother to bring him to the hospital.
Because of the discrepancies between witness statements, law enforcement continued to further investigate. The female witness told Bemidji Police Detectives that she, Lupe Rosillo, the 17 year old male and another female, conspired to lure Parkhurst to the residence for purposes of robbing him of money. She told law enforcement that she contacted Parkhurst and invited him to the residence. On February 17, at 10 p.m. Parkhurst arrived and she directed Parkhurst into a smaller bedroom. She then contacted Rosillo and the 17 year old male who were hiding in a separate location on the property preparing to ambush Parkhurst. She stated that Rosillo, and the 17 year old male then ran into the apartment wearing mask and rushed toward Parkhurst, who was alone in the bedroom, for purposes of robbing and/or assaulting him. She then heard the two gunshots, panicked and fled the apartment with the other female.
On February 19, Bemidji Police Officers arrested Parkhurst as he was walking in the hallway at a location on Ridgeway Avenue in Bemidji. In a Mirandized statement, Parkhurst stated that he was invited to the residence on the night of February 17, 2020. He stated that he was in possession of a 9mm handgun and cash when he arrived, and he was directed into a smaller bedroom. He stated that two masked men ran into the bedroom and began assaulting him. Parkhurst stated that he responded to the assailants by firing two shots in their direction in order to stop the assault and to escape, and he ran down the stairs and fled through the alley.
This matter continues to be investigated and some witnesses have yet to be located.
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