One of the brothers involved in a deadly hit-and-run crash Wednesday evening shot two Des Moines police officers in 1999. Forty-nine-year-old Bruce Mundy, a father and 30-year Air National Guard veteran from Adel, was riding his motorcycle on Park Ave., Wednesday.
Police said 25-year-old Santos Rodriguez and his brother, 23-year-old Orlando Rodriguez, stole gasoline from a nearby Casey's General Store. Police said the brothers hit and killed Mundy as they were driving away.
Santos Rodriguez was 16-years-old when he shot Officer Feff Gowen in the chest and Sgt. Garey Bryan in the hand on September 27, 1999. Drugs and guns were found in Rodriguez's car. Both officers survived. Rodriguez was also shot in the incident. Polk County prosecutors determined his injuries made Rodriguez incompetent to stand trial.
A flower and a motorcycle helmet now mark the spot where Bruce Mundy lost his life Wednesday. Today, Officer Gowen, the man Santos Rodriguez shot in the chest, passed along a message through Des Moines Police Sgt. Lori Lavorato. "Right now (Officer Jeff Gowen) is just upset that (Santos Rodriguez) acutally took another man's life." said Lavorato. She added that Gowen asked her to "just let (people) know that I feel for the Mundy family and I hope that they get justice."
Police officers said that Rodriguez seemed lucid and coherent when he was arrested. Polk County Attorney John Sarcone said there is typically a three year statute of limitations on crimes such as the shoot-out in 1999. Sarcone said he is in the process of retrieving the case files. He said he will review them. Neither Rodriguez brother has been charged with being behind the wheel in Wednesday's incident. Neither brother is licensed to drive in the state of Iowa.
Police said 25-year-old Santos Rodriguez and his brother, 23-year-old Orlando Rodriguez, stole gasoline from a nearby Casey's General Store. Police said the brothers hit and killed Mundy as they were driving away.
Santos Rodriguez was 16-years-old when he shot Officer Feff Gowen in the chest and Sgt. Garey Bryan in the hand on September 27, 1999. Drugs and guns were found in Rodriguez's car. Both officers survived. Rodriguez was also shot in the incident. Polk County prosecutors determined his injuries made Rodriguez incompetent to stand trial.
A flower and a motorcycle helmet now mark the spot where Bruce Mundy lost his life Wednesday. Today, Officer Gowen, the man Santos Rodriguez shot in the chest, passed along a message through Des Moines Police Sgt. Lori Lavorato. "Right now (Officer Jeff Gowen) is just upset that (Santos Rodriguez) acutally took another man's life." said Lavorato. She added that Gowen asked her to "just let (people) know that I feel for the Mundy family and I hope that they get justice."
Police officers said that Rodriguez seemed lucid and coherent when he was arrested. Polk County Attorney John Sarcone said there is typically a three year statute of limitations on crimes such as the shoot-out in 1999. Sarcone said he is in the process of retrieving the case files. He said he will review them. Neither Rodriguez brother has been charged with being behind the wheel in Wednesday's incident. Neither brother is licensed to drive in the state of Iowa.
