Topline: A Michigan man who shot a bar patron three times — including once as the victim crawled away — received a 20-to-50-year prison sentence Thursday for a New Year’s Day killing.
Published: April 17, 2026 11:30 am ET
Shawn Fletcher
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Zachary L. Rodriguez
SAGINAW, Mich. — A man who opened fire on a fellow partygoer inside a Saginaw bar during a New Year’s Eve party — shooting him twice in the abdomen at close range and a third time as he crawled away — was sentenced Thursday to 20 to 50 years in prison for the killing.
Zachary L. Rodriguez was sentenced by Saginaw County Circuit Judge Manvel Trice III, who also ordered him to pay $198 in fees. Rodriguez had pleaded no contest to second-degree murder in February, accepting a plea deal on the first day of his trial.
According to a report by MLive, the killing occurred in the early hours of January 1, 2024, at the Neutral Zone Sports Bar, 417 S. Michigan Ave. Zachary Rodriguez and the victim, James C. Rodriguez, 36, were among guests attending a New Year’s Eve party there. The two men share a surname but are not related.
Surveillance cameras recorded party guests drinking alcohol and using drugs. Some male guests, including James Rodriguez, were handling pistols and passing them around, Assistant Prosecutor Melissa J. Hoover said in her opening statement in February. At one point, James Rodriguez handed his gun to Zachary Rodriguez, who removed the magazine before reinserting it and handing the weapon back.
As the party thinned out, James Rodriguez reportedly attempted to resolve a conflict with Zachary Rodriguez and a few others who remained. James Rodriguez set his pistol on the bar, then tucked it in the back of his waistband. Zachary Rodriguez retrieved a separate firearm that another man had placed in a sink behind the bar.
“All of a sudden, out of nowhere, the defendant pulls out that pistol and he will shoot James Rodriguez two times at close range, right in his abdomen,” Hoover told the jury. Zachary Rodriguez then shot James Rodriguez a third time as he crawled away, after first clearing a jam in the gun. Zachary Rodriguez left the venue following the shooting but returned shortly afterward and shut off power to the building, prosecutors alleged.
Defense attorney Wade G. Fink argued the shooting was an act of self-defense. Fink said James Rodriguez had a reputation for dangerousness and had made other guests uncomfortable that night. He alleged James Rodriguez was furious with Zachary Rodriguez for handling his gun — viewing it as a slight to his manhood — and that Zachary fired because he believed James was reaching for the weapon at his waistband.
Before accepting the plea deal, Zachary Rodriguez had faced charges of open murder, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, and three counts of second-offense felony firearm.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Saginaw Man Sentenced to 20-50 Years for New Year’s Day Bar Shooting That Left Fellow Partygoer Dead
A Michigan man who shot a bar patron three times — including once as the victim crawled away — received a 20-to-50-year prison sentence Thursday for a New Year’s Day killing.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: April 17, 2026 11:30 am ET
Zachary L. Rodriguez
SAGINAW, Mich. — A man who opened fire on a fellow partygoer inside a Saginaw bar during a New Year’s Eve party — shooting him twice in the abdomen at close range and a third time as he crawled away — was sentenced Thursday to 20 to 50 years in prison for the killing.
Zachary L. Rodriguez was sentenced by Saginaw County Circuit Judge Manvel Trice III, who also ordered him to pay $198 in fees. Rodriguez had pleaded no contest to second-degree murder in February, accepting a plea deal on the first day of his trial.
According to a report by MLive, the killing occurred in the early hours of January 1, 2024, at the Neutral Zone Sports Bar, 417 S. Michigan Ave. Zachary Rodriguez and the victim, James C. Rodriguez, 36, were among guests attending a New Year’s Eve party there. The two men share a surname but are not related.
Surveillance cameras recorded party guests drinking alcohol and using drugs. Some male guests, including James Rodriguez, were handling pistols and passing them around, Assistant Prosecutor Melissa J. Hoover said in her opening statement in February. At one point, James Rodriguez handed his gun to Zachary Rodriguez, who removed the magazine before reinserting it and handing the weapon back.
As the party thinned out, James Rodriguez reportedly attempted to resolve a conflict with Zachary Rodriguez and a few others who remained. James Rodriguez set his pistol on the bar, then tucked it in the back of his waistband. Zachary Rodriguez retrieved a separate firearm that another man had placed in a sink behind the bar.
“All of a sudden, out of nowhere, the defendant pulls out that pistol and he will shoot James Rodriguez two times at close range, right in his abdomen,” Hoover told the jury. Zachary Rodriguez then shot James Rodriguez a third time as he crawled away, after first clearing a jam in the gun. Zachary Rodriguez left the venue following the shooting but returned shortly afterward and shut off power to the building, prosecutors alleged.
Defense attorney Wade G. Fink argued the shooting was an act of self-defense. Fink said James Rodriguez had a reputation for dangerousness and had made other guests uncomfortable that night. He alleged James Rodriguez was furious with Zachary Rodriguez for handling his gun — viewing it as a slight to his manhood — and that Zachary fired because he believed James was reaching for the weapon at his waistband.
Before accepting the plea deal, Zachary Rodriguez had faced charges of open murder, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, and three counts of second-offense felony firearm.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Saginaw Man Sentenced to 20-50 Years for New Year’s Day Bar Shooting That Left Fellow Partygoer Dead
A Michigan man who shot a bar patron three times — including once as the victim crawled away — received a 20-to-50-year prison sentence Thursday for a New Year’s Day killing.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: April 17, 2026 11:30 am ET
Zachary L. Rodriguez
SAGINAW, Mich. — A man who opened fire on a fellow partygoer inside a Saginaw bar during a New Year’s Eve party — shooting him twice in the abdomen at close range and a third time as he crawled away — was sentenced Thursday to 20 to 50 years in prison for the killing.
Zachary L. Rodriguez was sentenced by Saginaw County Circuit Judge Manvel Trice III, who also ordered him to pay $198 in fees. Rodriguez had pleaded no contest to second-degree murder in February, accepting a plea deal on the first day of his trial.
According to a report by MLive, the killing occurred in the early hours of January 1, 2024, at the Neutral Zone Sports Bar, 417 S. Michigan Ave. Zachary Rodriguez and the victim, James C. Rodriguez, 36, were among guests attending a New Year’s Eve party there. The two men share a surname but are not related.
Surveillance cameras recorded party guests drinking alcohol and using drugs. Some male guests, including James Rodriguez, were handling pistols and passing them around, Assistant Prosecutor Melissa J. Hoover said in her opening statement in February. At one point, James Rodriguez handed his gun to Zachary Rodriguez, who removed the magazine before reinserting it and handing the weapon back.
As the party thinned out, James Rodriguez reportedly attempted to resolve a conflict with Zachary Rodriguez and a few others who remained. James Rodriguez set his pistol on the bar, then tucked it in the back of his waistband. Zachary Rodriguez retrieved a separate firearm that another man had placed in a sink behind the bar.
“All of a sudden, out of nowhere, the defendant pulls out that pistol and he will shoot James Rodriguez two times at close range, right in his abdomen,” Hoover told the jury. Zachary Rodriguez then shot James Rodriguez a third time as he crawled away, after first clearing a jam in the gun. Zachary Rodriguez left the venue following the shooting but returned shortly afterward and shut off power to the building, prosecutors alleged.
Defense attorney Wade G. Fink argued the shooting was an act of self-defense. Fink said James Rodriguez had a reputation for dangerousness and had made other guests uncomfortable that night. He alleged James Rodriguez was furious with Zachary Rodriguez for handling his gun — viewing it as a slight to his manhood — and that Zachary fired because he believed James was reaching for the weapon at his waistband.
Before accepting the plea deal, Zachary Rodriguez had faced charges of open murder, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, and three counts of second-offense felony firearm.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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