At around 9:30 AM on March 25, 2026, officers were sent to [ADDRESS REDACTED], Maplewood, Ramsey County on a domestic. Officers stopped and arrested DEANTHONY DASHAUN PHILLIPS [DOB REDACTED] in front of [ADDRESS REDACTED] East. One of Phillips’ hands was bleeding. Phillips said he had punched a wall. Phillips was advised of his constitutional rights and agreed to speak to police. Phillips said he and MMW [DOB REDACTED] were in a relationship and have a child together. They have been fighting recently.
On March 24, 2026, Phillips said he threw MMW’s phone onto the highway. They continued arguing on March 25, 2026. Phillips said something to MMW like, “I would have slapped you.” Phillips said MMW threatened to have people come over and assault him. Phillips denied putting hands on MMW. He said he hurt his hand from punching a window causing it to break. Phillips said he had been living with MMW for two months, and he had a key to her apartment. Officers recovered a blue key with “mi casa” written on it from Phillips.
Officers spoke to MMW who said she broke up with Phillips a few days earlier after she saw “his craziness.” Phillips was very angry about the break-up. Phillips got into MMW’s car on March 24, 2026 and asked, “So what? You just don’t want to be with me?” MMW told Phillips she couldn’t do this, and he became angry. Phillips grabbed MMW’s phone and got out of the car. MMW told Phillips she wouldn’t leave him in order to get her phone back. MMW drove Phillips to where he had been staying so he could pick up items and return with her.
When Phillips got out MMW left and drove home without saying anything to him. MMW was talking on the phone in her car at home when Phillips got dropped off. Phillips opened the door and angrily said, “You thought you could just run away from me?” Phillips grabbed her braids, yanked MMW’s head toward him, and slapped her two or three times. Phillips again grabbed MMW’s phone, and he got into the car that dropped him off. MMW followed, and she yelled at a car by them to call police when they were stopped at a red light.
Phillips then threw MMW’s phone out the window, and he sped away. MMW recovered her phone and went back home. MMW stayed elsewhere on the evening of March 24, 2026 because she was afraid Phillips would return. Throughout the evening Phillips threatened to shoot MMW and the man he thought she was with. Phillips threatened to kill himself after he killed MMW. At around 9:05 AM on March 25, 2026, MMW returned home to [ADDRESS REDACTED], Maplewood, Ramsey County. MMW started to get her children ready for school when one of them said Phillips was in her bedroom.
MMW found Phillips asleep in her bed. MMW woke Phillips who said, “You’re finally here!” Phillips yelled at MMW and demanded to know where she was and who she was with the previous evening. Phillips got up, put MMW against the wall, and choked her using both hands. MMW couldn’t breathe when Phillips squeezed her neck. While choking MMW Phillips said, “I’m gonna kill you. You think you can play with me?” Phillips said he was mad at MMW for breaking up with him. MMW gasped for air and told Phillips she was with her cousin.
