Pelican Rapids man sentenced in apartment break-in case

A Pelican Rapids apartment break-in case that started with kidnapping, burglary and robbery allegations ended with a narrower conviction and a shorter sentence for Alberto Ramirez. He was ordered Thursday to serve 60 days in Otter Tail County custody and five years of probation after pleading guilty in April to second-degree burglary.

The case traces back to the morning of Oct. 19, 2025, when Pelican Rapids police were called to an apartment break-in. Prosecutors say one victim had been assaulted while asleep and woke up to find three or four unmasked men inside the apartment. The victim believed the attack was tied to a separate liquor store theft involving his roommate, who had allegedly stolen a bottle of alcohol from the city’s municipal liquor store at 120 N Broadway.

According to the victim’s account, the store had posted photos of both men on Facebook after the theft. He said the intruders took the liquor bottle and his phone before leaving. Court documents also alleged that Ramirez pulled a gun from the center console of a vehicle and told the victim to take them to the apartment or else. The victim said the men also took his wallet money and ID.

Ramirez later gave investigators his own account, saying he had seen the man at a house party, believed he was connected to the liquor store theft and wanted the money returned to the store. That explanation became part of the record as the case moved through Otter Tail County District Court, but it did not erase the assault allegations that drove the original investigation.

The final sentence falls well short of the maximum allowed under Minnesota law, but the conviction still carries serious weight. Second-degree burglary in Minnesota can bring up to 10 years in prison and a fine of as much as $20,000, meaning Ramirez’s plea still reflects a felony-level case even with county custody instead of prison time.

For Pelican Rapids, the outcome closes a case that began as a neighborhood apartment intrusion and escalated into allegations of a gun threat, an assault and a retaliation tied to a liquor-store theft. The probation term will keep the case under court supervision for years.