Rigoberto Mendez-Morales

BELCOURT — A Mandaree man has been charged with murder following an early morning incident on Saturday, Jan. 10, in Belcourt on the Turtle Mountain Reservation.

Rigoberto Mendez-Morales, 58, has been charged in Northeast District Court with one count of Class AA felony murder.

According to court records currently available to the public, Turtle Mountain Bureau of Indian Affairs officers responded to a 911 call shortly after 6 a.m. at a Belcourt casino and detained Mendez-Morales, who was then transported to the Rolette County Law Enforcement Center in Rolla. The identity of the alleged victim has not been released at this time.

The investigation into the incident is being conducted by the FBI, with assistance from the BIA Office of Justice Services and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Mendez-Morales appeared for a bond hearing on Monday morning, Jan. 12. No additional hearings are currently scheduled, based on court records.