On March 3, 2026, officers were dispatched to a residence located in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, based on a report of an assault. Officers arrived and located an adult female, identified herein as “Victim,” outside of her apartment in the hallway covered in blood. Victim told police that the blood was from her boyfriend, KEVIN LENEL ZEIGLER [DOB REDACTED]. ZEIGLER was no longer at the residence, and police learned that there was an active warrant for his arrest out of Blue Earth County.
Officers went into the apartment and saw more blood inside. Victim [NAME REDACTED] was hitting and strangling her, so she grabbed a small knife out of her pocket and stabbed him. ZEIGLER then grabbed Victim’s car keys and left the apartment in her vehicle. A witness on scene, who had called 911, told police that he had seen Victim chasing a male down the hallway and yelling at him to give back her keys. Officers saw a large bump on Victim’s forehead. Victim was transported to HCMC for treatment, where she was eventually admitted and diagnosed with a facial fracture and pneumothorax.
At the hospital, Victim provided a statement to an investigator. Victim [NAME REDACTED] in a relationship with ZEIGLER for two years, and they lived together up until two months ago. That day, they were arguing and she told him to leave. ZEIGLER left, but he took Victim’s keys, which she confronted him about via text message. ZEIGLER denied having Victim’s keys. Victim then locked her door and put stuff in front of the door to make sure ZEIGLER couldn’t get in. ZEIGLER returned and entered Victim’s apartment without her permission.
They started arguing again, which is when ZEIGLER punched Victim [NAME REDACTED], kicked her in her back and ribcage, and choked her. Victim stated that ZEIGLER strangled her with both hands around her neck to the point where she thought she was going to pass out because she could not breathe. ZEIGLER told Victim [NAME REDACTED] was going to kill her that night. Victim had a knife in her pocket, and she used it to try and get him off of her. When ZEIGLER did get off Victim, [NAME REDACTED] in the hallway screaming for help.
When a neighbor called 911, ZEIGLER again took Victim’s keys and ran out of the apartment. Victim’s three-year-old son was sleeping in his room during the assault. While police were at the hospital with Victim, they received a report that a male had come to the hospital with a stab wound. The male, eventually identified as ZEIGLER, gave hospital staff and police a false name and stated that he had been stabbed at a bar in Minneapolis. An officer spoke to staff at that bar, who reviewed surveillance video and stated that no stabbing had occurred that evening.
The investigator also spoke to ZEIGLER at the hospital and advised him of his constitutional rights. ZEIGLER stated that Victim [NAME REDACTED]. That night, they were drinking, and she told him to leave. Because he had just given her $300 to help with rent, he wanted the money back, so he used her phone to send himself money. ZEIGLER stated that Victim [NAME REDACTED], grabbed a knife, and attacked him. After taking the knife from her, he ran from the apartment and drove himself to the hospital. ZEIGLER stated that he was stabbed in his face and left arm.
