Busy Friday night for Billings man, who allegedly committed 10 felonies in just four hours

A Billings man is facing a slew of felonies, including kidnapping and assault, after allegedly going on a drunken spree of violence.

Cordero Robert Metzker pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Yellowstone County District Court to four counts of assault with a weapon, three counts of criminal endangerment, kidnapping, robbery, burglary and possession of a stolen firearm.

Metzker is accused of breaking into a Billings apartment, robbing a man at gunpoint and firing off rounds from a stolen handgun outside of a local hotel, all while kidnapping a 36-year-old woman.

Although prosecutors asked for a $75,000 bond during Metzker’s arraignment Tuesday afternoon, presiding Judge David Carter went well beyond the recommendation and set the 37-year-old’s bail at $250,000.

Late on the night of Feb. 27 a woman saw a man who had apparently broken into an unoccupied apartment at a housing complex on King Avenue East, according to court documents. When she confronted the man, later identified at Metzker, he allegedly demanded that she give him $20,000. The woman left and got the property manager.

The property manager went to the unit and called police. At that same time, according to charging documents, the alarm on Metzker’s pickup truck went off and the manager gave dispatch the make, model and license plate number of the vehicle. Metzker allegedly chased the manager before leaving.

Billings police officers who responded to the scene searched the ransacked apartment, finding a shattered kitchen window, items strewn across the floor and heater vents ripped from the floor.

A few hours later, dispatched received a call of a shooting outside of hotel on Southgate Drive, charging documents said. Metzker allegedly opened fire on a man driving a silver passenger car near the hotel. When the man drove away, according to charging documents, Metzker followed in his pickup truck, tailing him all the way to Orchard Lane and State Avenue, near Optimist Park.

The driver of the car, a 21-year-old man, allegedly told police that while he was speeding to get away from Metzker, he took a turn too fast and crashed into a light pole. After the wreck, Metzker got out of his truck, reportedly pulled out a handgun and fired several more shots, according to charging documents.

Metzker approached the 21-year-old and allegedly demanded money, the man’s phone and cocaine, putting the gun to the man’s throat and pistol-whipping him. Metzker then drove away in his pickup truck and parked in a nearby driveway.

Police arrested Metzker and during the arrest allegedly found a woman inside of his truck, court documents said. The woman told officers that she and Metzker had gone to dinner earlier that night.

After Metzker had several drinks, he said he wanted to get revenge on some old acquaintance of his, court documents said. The woman said Metzker forced her to help him break into the apartment then refused to let her out of his truck while he chased the silver car, according to charging documents.

Police found a handgun under Metzker’s pickup truck and later determined that the gun was stolen, charging documents said.

Metzker previously served time in federal prison for his role in a scheme to smuggle drugs into Montana State Prison through the facility's laundry. In 2016, a U.S. District Court judge sentenced Metzker to three years in prison for conspiring to distribute controlled substances. In 2024, Yellowstone County prosecutors charged Metzker with felony strangulation, but the charge was later dismissed.

Should Metzker make bail, he will be required to be monitored by GPS until his current case is resolved. If convicted of the most serious crime, armed robbery, he could be sentenced to 40 years in prison.