On January 14, 2026, at approximately 2057 hours, Oakdale Police Department officers were dispatched to a residence in Oakdale, Washington County, Minnesota, for a report of domestic assault. Through dispatch, the suspect was identified as DIANE LYNN GAYLORD [DOB REDACTED], and officers were advised while they were en route that Gaylord had fled the scene. Officer Barr arrived at the residence and made contact with Victim, an adult female fully identified in police reports. Victim [NAME REDACTED] is her sister and has been living with her at her home for the last three months.
When Officer Barr first encountered Victim, he saw that she appeared scared and upset and observed fresh blood and injuries to her. Victim told Officer Barr that Gaylord told Victim that she wanted to "take care" of their mother (who also lives at the residence) and went into the living room to watch TV with the parties' mother. Victim said that she does not trust Gaylord to be around their mother and told Gaylord to watch television in another room. Things escalated from there and Gaylord began arguing with and screaming at Victim.
Victim told Gaylord that she needed to leave the residence, and told her she was going to call 911. Victim then began digging through her purse, to find her phone and call 911, at which point Gaylord jumped on her back and began "gouging [her] eyes out." Victim demonstrated how Gaylord began clawing and gouging at her eyes, and said that Gaylord scratched her eyes and their area around her eyes. Officer Barr observed that her injuries were consistent with the assaultive behavior that she described.
Victim [NAME REDACTED] was unable to get to her phone and call 911 because of what Gaylord did to her. Victim further described that Gaylord subsequently put both of her hands around Victim's mouth and nose, covering them, and Victim [NAME REDACTED] was unable to breathe while this happened. Victim became upset while describing this and told Officer Barr that she thought she was "going to die." At that point, Victim's grandson came into the room and pulled Gaylord off Victim. After they were separated, Victim accessed her cell phone and called 911, and Gaylord left the residence and drove away in her truck.
Victim's grandson confirmed Victim's narrative of events and said that he saw Gaylord on top of Victim, and heard Victim [NAME REDACTED] couldn't breathe. He said that he pulled Gaylord off of Victim. Maplewood Police Department officers later apprehended Gaylord after a pursuit that ended in the city of Eagan. Officer Barr made contact with the Maplewood Police Department and took custody of Gaylord. While transferring Gaylord to the Washington County jail, Officer Barr read a Miranda warning to Gaylord and took a statement from her.
Gaylord told Officer Barr that Victim was trying to "poison [her] air." She admitted to trying to stop Victim from calling 911 but denied scratching her and denied putting her hands over Victim's nose and mouth. She said she was trying to "defend" herself from Victim, but admitted that Victim's grandson had to pull her off of Victim.
