Man Pleads Guilty To Murder In 2016 Van Killing

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A man who killed a pedestrian by striking him with his van in October 2016 has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Tuesday Tristan Baier, 22, said in court that he meant to hit 37-year-old Roberto Bernabe Cortez. Baier's plea came during his second trial, as a jury acquitted him of first-degree murder and couldn't reach a verdict on other charges during his first trial in 2017.

Baier reportedly hit Cortez as he was gathered with a group of men on Portland Avenue.

Baier told the courtroom he intended to "cause bodily harm" to Cortez, while also acknowledging that the van was used as a dangerous weapon.