On March 21, 2026, at approximately 9:04 P.M., Coon Rapids Police were dispatched to a residence located on 113th Lane NW in the City of Coon Rapids, Anoka County, Minnesota regarding a male assaulting a female. As officers arrived and approached the residence, they could hear yelling and screaming inside. A minor female informed the officers her parents were upstairs. Officers entered the residence and located a male on the third floor standing in the doorway of a bedroom yelling. The male later identified as, RUBEN ELIAS BARRETO CADENA, [DOB REDACTED], hereinafter defendant, was uncooperative with the officers but was ultimately taken into custody.
Officers Wallinga and Jackson spoke with the adult female, AB, who stated she was lying on the bed in the bedroom when the defendant, her husband, came into the room, grabbed her phone, threw it and began yelling at her accusing her of cheating. AB got up from the bed to retrieve her phone and saw the defendant started swinging a belt towards her. AB said the first time the defendant swung the belt at her he missed but then he struck her twice, hitting her in the back. AB stated she went to their minor daughter’s room and shut the door, but the defendant was pounding on the door.
AB left their daughters room and returned to their bedroom where the defendant continued to yell and scream and hit her with the belt. AB wanted to leave the bedroom, but the defendant stood in the doorway telling her if she got up, he would punch her. AB said she yelled back that he needed to leave and get out of the way so she could leave, but the defendant continued standing in the doorway threatening to hit her if she tried to leave. AB was unable to leave the bedroom until law enforcement arrived.
Officers Wallinga and Jackson took photographs of the multiple welt marks on AB’s back where she was struck with the belt. Officers also spoke with AB and the defendant’s minor [NAME REDACTED] stated the defendant started yelling at her mother accusing her of cheating on him. The minor said she then saw the defendant hit her mother with the belt approximately 10 times and that her mother told her to call 911.
