Surviving Intruder Charged With Murder in Brother’s Death During South Bend Break-In

A South Bend man is facing murder charges over his own brother's death, even though it was the residents of a College Street home who pulled the trigger. Pedro Rodriguez Soto, 36, was arrested and charged in connection with the August 3 shooting that killed 33-year-old Alberto Soto-Rodriguez during an attempted break-in on the city's northwest side.

What Happened Inside the College Street Home

According to the South Bend Police Department, officers responded to a reported shooting in the 1000 block of College Street on August 3, and the department's Violent Crimes Unit took over the investigation, which included witness statements and video evidence. Per that investigation, Soto-Rodriguez and Rodriguez Soto were reportedly attempting to break into the residence when the shooting occurred. Residents told police the two men entered the home's kitchen, and a resident warned them to leave and that people inside were armed.

Residents said one of the intruders pointed a firearm at them in the stairway before reaching into his waistband and pointing a gun again, prompting residents to fire at the intruders from an upstairs window. The same account describes one intruder dragging the other toward a van that had pulled up in the alley near the residence's side door. Alberto Soto-Rodriguez suffered apparent gunshot wounds and was pronounced deceased at the scene, while ballistics evidence confirmed one intruder had fired a semi-automatic handgun from the described area.

Suspect Told Police He Was Injured in a Robbery Attempt

Pedro Rodriguez Soto was not struck by gunfire but arrived at a hospital after the incident with injuries police say came from debris. Per police, he told investigators that he and his brother had been doing landscaping nearby and that he had been injured in a shooting during a possible robbery or home invasion. Witnesses reportedly said both men were armed with firearms during the encounter.

Soto-Rodriguez's autopsy was completed in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on August 4, the day after the shooting, according to the South Bend Police Department. Rodriguez Soto is now being held at St. Joseph County Jail, charged with two counts each of murder, burglary of a dwelling causing serious bodily injury, burglary with a deadly weapon, and burglary of a dwelling — all under Indiana's aiding, inducing or causing an offense statute. He was also charged with intimidation. He is not facing his first local charges: court records reviewed by Recently Booked show he was booked into the same jail on June 15 on charges of intimidation, public intoxication, possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug, and criminal mischief, with bond set at $1,500 at that time.

Why He Faces Murder Charges for His Brother's Death

The case turns on two separate provisions of Indiana law. Under Indiana Code § 35-41-2-4, a person who knowingly or intentionally aids, induces, or causes another person to commit an offense can be charged with that offense — even if they did not personally cause the death, according to Justia Law. That statute allows accomplices to be charged with murder as though they were the ones who fired the fatal shots.

At the same time, Indiana's Castle Doctrine, codified at Indiana Code § 35-41-3-2, allows residents to use deadly force without a duty to retreat if they reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent unlawful entry or a forcible felony inside their home. That legal protection is why the College Street residents who fired the shots were not charged. Because they were legally justified in defending their home, Rodriguez Soto — the surviving intruder — is the one being held criminally responsible for his brother's death under an aiding-and-inducing murder theory.

Indiana sentencing guidelines set a statutory penalty range of 45 to 65 years in prison for a murder conviction, a range that applies equally to accomplices charged under the aiding, inducing or causing statute, according to the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office. That means Rodriguez Soto faces the same potential decades-long sentence his brother's shooters would have faced, had they been the ones charged. The prosecutor's office is collaborating with South Bend police on the case, with the department's Violent Crimes Unit having taken over the investigation from initial responding officers.

Part of a Broader Pattern of Violence in South Bend

The College Street shooting arrived amid a mixed picture of gun violence trends across the city. South Bend Police Department data released in July indicated a decrease in overall gun violence incidents citywide during the first half of 2026, even as the number of fatal shootings increased. Department crime statistics for July recorded 68 residential burglaries and two fatal shootings citywide in the month immediately preceding the College Street break-in.

The year had already opened with a violent stretch: South Bend recorded five shootings with two fatalities during the first 12 days of January, according to ABC57, prompting city leaders and police officials to address early-year violence following a broader crime decline in 2025.

When officers first responded to the scene on August 3, authorities temporarily withheld the deceased suspect's name pending next-of-kin notification, and early reports referred only to an unidentified homicide victim. Hoodline first covered the College Street shooting in the immediate aftermath, before charges were filed. Open questions remain about Rodriguez Soto's court proceedings, including formal arraignment dates, and whether additional evidence — including from the van seen near the residence — could lead to further charges against a possible getaway driver. As with all suspects, Rodriguez Soto is presumed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.