Sheboygan Falls shooting, man charged with reckless homicide

SHEBOYGAN FALLS, Wis. - Sheboygan County prosecutors charged a man with first-degree reckless homicide for the shooting that killed Mike Robinson on Wednesday, Sept. 24.

In Court:

The Sheboygan Falls Police Department announced the arrest of 35-year-old Luis Cruz Burgos. He was expected to make his initial appearance in court on Monday, Sept. 29.

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Drive-by shooting

The backstory:

Sheboygan Falls police were called to the scene on Monroe Street, near the Sheboygan River, just after midnight on Sept. 24. Dispatch advised the suspect's vehicle was a dark SUV that had left the scene.

Officers arrived to find the victim, later identified as 32-year-old Robinson, with an apparent gunshot wound to his chest. He died at the scene despite life-saving attempts. 

Family told FOX6 News that Robinson, who is originally from Canada, was a husband and father to a 5-week-old baby. His sister's wedding, originally scheduled for next week, has now been canceled. Instead, there will be a funeral.

"My brother was taken unexpectedly from us, and I just want justice and his name to be known," said Jacob Robinson, Mike's brother. "He was a true gentleman. He was an incredible husband, best friend."

Witness statements

What they're saying:

According to a criminal complaint, Robinson and the group of people he was with at the time were from out of state and in town for a golf event. A witness said they had been out celebrating because Robinson had hit a hole in one.

Police said there were four people in the group: Robinson and three witnesses. Court filings described two of those witnesses as "highly intoxicated." According to witness statements, the group got an Uber from their Kohler hotel to Sheboygan Falls but were having trouble finding an Uber back at the end of the night.

Prosecutors said one of the "highly intoxicated" witnesses told police they encountered a "Hispanic" man who worked for DoorDash, and they were communicating in Spanish. He said he offered the man cash for a ride to the hotel, but the man refused and said he "wanted more money." They then began to walk to their hotel in Kohler.

Court filings said both of the "highly intoxicated" witnesses said they were walking when Robinson dropped to the ground, but said they did not see the shooter. One of those witnesses said he heard a "pop" and heard Robinson say "I'm dying." That witness also saw a vehicle that he "believed" was the same vehicle that the "Hispanic" man was in.

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One witness later told police the interaction with the man had lasted "no more than 5-10 minutes" and said it "was not hostile from either side," per the complaint.

Police later interviewed the third witness. According to the complaint, that witness said they'd talked with a "Hispanic male" who was "operating a black Ford Escape on Pine Street." He said they tried to negotiate a ride with that man back to their hotel in a "regular conversation tone." When they realized they weren't going to get a ride, they kept walking. The witness said he saw what he believed was the same black Ford Escape drive up. The passenger window rolled down and Robinsoin was shot. He said it happened quickly and was not able to provide more information, but he was "more than certain" that the DoorDash driver was the same person who shot Robinson.

Surveillance video

Timeline:

Law enforcement checked surveillance video from the bar where the group had been that night. Court filings said they left around midnight and were walking on Pine Street when a black SUV pulled over in front of a restaurant and the group walked up to the vehicle at approximately 12 a.m.

• 12:00 a.m. – The group walks up to the vehicle.
• 12:03 a.m. – The vehicle's headlights shut off, and the group is nowhere to be seen.
• 12:04 a.m. – Someone talks to an address on Pine Street from the driver's side of the vehicle.
• 12:07 a.m. – Someone returns to the vehicle and unlocks it, the vehicle's headlights turn on, and the vehicle makes a U-turn on Pine Street.
• 12:08 a.m. – The vehicle turns onto Broadway from Pine Street.

Video from a nearby business showed the group walking on Pine Street at 12:07 a.m. Court filings said there was "yelling" before the group appeared in the video. Three people were on the sidewalk, while the fourth person was walking in the street. Police heard one of the men say "(expletive) that tool" then talking about a "shake down and how he was not going to give him $40 for five minutes of work, Spanish or not." The rest of the conversation was inaudible.

The complaint said video from another business showed the black SUV on Monroe Street at 12:08 a.m. It appeared to be speeding, and had "similar characteristics" to the vehicle Cruz Burgos was later found to be driving.

Suspect located

Dig deeper:

Prosecutors said law enforcement later located the suspect vehicle with a male driver and were given consent to search the vehicle. Nothing of interest was found inside. The vehicle was a black Ford Escape, and the driver was Cruz Burgos.

An Elkhart police officer helped translate for officers, because Cruz Burgos does not speak English. The complaint said investigators learned he had been working for DoorDash for approximately nine months and had been driving a black Ford Escape during his deliveries.

Cruz Burgos said he was making a delivery when he encountered four "drunk" men who were "attempting to stop cars," according to the complaint. He "described them as having their thumbs out in what appeared to have been a hitchhiking sign." He said he had come out from making a delivery when the group of men got closer to him, but "did not make contact."

The complaint said Cruz Burgos told police one of the men asked about a ride to their hotel room. He said there was "no argument in reference to possibly negotiating funds in reference to a ride." He said the men were calling him "stupid" and one of them flipped him off as he drove away.

After the encounter, per the complaint, Cruz Burgos said he made a U-turn to drive toward Sheboyan and passed the group of men. He said everything "appeared to be fine" and he did not see anyone shoot a gun. He said he did not have a gun and did not shoot anyone.

Prosecutors said Cruz Burgos further told police he has not had any guns since a court order from Florida in 2019 that was related to a domestic incident.