Teen Pleads Guilty In Cottage Grove Teacher's Shooting Death
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 19-year-old man pleaded guilty Wednesday in the January shooting death of a popular Cottage Grove teacher who was also a bar owner.
Bailey Garcia was charged with second-degree murder in the Jan. 24 drive-by shooting death of David Frigaard, who owned Frigaard's Bar in Mahtomedi. Frigaard was found dead in his truck just blocks away from the bar at about 3:30 a.m.
The criminal complaint says Garcia had a fight with his father and brother and had been drinking before he parked near Stillwater Road and Mahtomedi Avenue. That's where he saw Frigaard's truck come to a stop sign.
The complaint says Garcia shot at the truck with his rifle and took off. He told police that he was intoxicated and suicidal as he fired his rifle. Some witnesses told authorities the under-aged Garcia was earlier at Frigaard's Bar and became upset when Frigaard refused to serve him.
Frigaard was an art teacher at Park High School in Cottage Grove, and served as an at-risk program teacher, an advisor for the gay-straight alliance. He also coached football, basketball and track over the years.
Frigaard is survived by a wife and three children. Garcia will be sentenced on Aug. 14.