Authorities searching for suspect accused of cutting man’s neck, throwing him off bridge in Dodge County

Authorities in Dodge County are searching for a man accused of cutting another man’s neck and throwing him from a bridge last week.

According to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office, dispatchers received a call from a citizen on Aug. 12 stating they saw a man throw another man from the Milliken Creek Bridge on County Road 22, east of Highway 57, and then run away.

Deputies responded and located a man hiding in a heavily wooded area near the north side of the bridge. The victim, a 62-year-old Hispanic man from Rochester, had a large cut across the front of his neck and was taken to a hospital.

The victim explained he was assaulted by a man who then cut his throat and threw him from the bridge. He later identified the suspect only by the name Alex and wasn’t able to give additional information due to the severity of his injuries, the sheriff’s office said.

Investigators worked to identify the man but after a few days, when the victim was out of surgery, were able to talk more to the victim and then identified the suspect as 27-year-old Rigo Eleazar Lopez Macias. The sheriff’s office said Macias works at Rochester Cheese under the name Alejandro Torres Lopez.

Macias is described as about 6 feet tall, 200 pounds and was last seen fleeing in a gray 2013 Ford Taurus sedan with the Minnesota license plate number ECH680.

The sheriff’s office said he’s wanted for first-degree attempted murder and is considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 507-635-6200 and ask for Investigator Bob Morris, or email him at bob.morris@co.dodge.mn.us.

The victim has since been released and taken to a safe location, according to the sheriff’s office.