APPLE VALLEY, MN – Authorities are searching for a 20-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing another man during a confrontation that followed a night marked by arguments and tumultuous relationships.
Investigators said Aron Isait Medina Rojas faces a second-degree murder charge in the July 6 slaying of Daniel Isaac Aguilar, 21, whose body was discovered early Sunday morning by Apple Valley police, according to Dakota County court records. Police were called around 3:12 a.m. to a sidewalk, where they found Aguilar unresponsive, surrounded by blood and displaying what appeared to be a puncture wound to the left side of his chest.
Aguilar was declared dead at the scene. The medical examiner later confirmed that he died from multiple sharp-force injuries and ruled the case a homicide.
Officers at the scene uncovered evidence, including a blood trail, a broken glass jar, personal items belonging to the victim, and discarded alcohol containers. The blood trail and additional items appeared to lead back to a driveway approximately 50 feet away.
Authorities reviewed surveillance footage from the area, which helped piece together the events preceding the stabbing. About 35 minutes before police arrived, Aguilar was seen walking on video. Shortly after, a car approached, and the sound of an escalating argument involving two men and a woman was captured.
Police allege the footage shows Rojas advancing toward Aguilar, who is seen backing away. Rojas is reported to have struck Aguilar in the chest, followed by a second blow near the victim’s throat. Aguilar then collapsed. Moments later, a woman illuminated Aguilar with her phone’s flashlight as she and Rojas approached him before leaving the scene.
The investigation revealed the fatal altercation was preceded by a night of disputes between couples. Aguilar’s family said he had been with his girlfriend at a Minneapolis club earlier that night. After a series of arguments, the couple left the club and continued to argue in a transit authority parking lot in Apple Valley. Meanwhile, the girlfriend’s friend—who is in a relationship with Rojas—arrived with him to pick her up.
As tensions escalated, Aguilar reportedly walked away, and the other couple offered to drive his girlfriend to a friend’s house. Later, surveillance tracked how Rojas and his girlfriend encountered Aguilar again, leading to the deadly confrontation.
Detectives said Rojas’ girlfriend told them Aguilar “became aggressive,” prompting Rojas to exit their vehicle. She witnessed a physical struggle and then noticed Rojas return to the car with blood on his shirt, urging her that they needed to leave.
After discovering Aguilar’s body, officers spoke with his girlfriend, who admitted she returned to the area looking for his phone when she realized his location had not changed for hours. Family members recounted that the couple’s arguments had been sparked by alleged infidelity during their night out.
Authorities have yet to apprehend Rojas, who remains at large. Investigators believe he may be attempting to leave the country.
Anyone with information about Rojas’ whereabouts is asked to contact Apple Valley Police.