A 20-year-old man faces a first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge after police say he choked, punched and sexually assaulted a 19-year-old woman he met on the dating app Hinge.
Ishan Panwar, of Minneapolis, was charged Friday in Ramsey County after the woman walked into the Roseville Police Department on March 22 to report the assault.
The woman told investigators she matched with Panwar on Hinge and agreed to meet him at a coffee shop in Saint Paul. She drove while he took an Uber. They agreed to visit the Stone Arch Bridge area in Minneapolis and she drove while Panwar gave directions. During the ride, he placed his hand on her neck, the court documents say.
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Panwar directed her to a house where he went inside and grabbed a bag. He then guided her to a Motel 6 in Roseville, where he rented a room. They arrived around 10 p.m.
In the parking lot, Panwar allegedly began choking the woman with both hands, restricting her ability to speak and breathe, the complaint says. He told her he "liked it" when she "looked scared." He convinced her to go inside, telling her they would just "play a game" and didn't have to do anything. He took her bag, which contained her phone, when they got out of the car.
Inside the room, Panwar shoved the woman onto the bed and sexually assaulted her. When she tried to move, he shoved her back down, punched her with a closed fist and choked her. She cried and told him to stop. At one point, he allegedly shoved a KitKat bar down her throat when she tried to speak while he was on a phone call.
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The woman tried to leave but realized Panwar still had her bag and phone. When she reached for them, he pushed her against the desk. She fell against the desk and a television. Eventually, while Panwar was lying on the bed, she grabbed her belongings and fled.
The woman was shaking and crying as she recounted the assault to officers. She had gone to Abbott Northwestern Hospital for a sexual assault examination before reporting to police. A nurse documented extensive injuries including marks on her neck, bruising to her right arm, both legs, her right breast and left eye, genital abrasions and tearing, dried blood and multiple areas of irregular bruising across her body.
Investigators contacted Panwar, who agreed to come to the Roseville Police Department for an interview. He appeared on March 26 with a lawyer and declined to make a statement. He remains in custody at the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center as of publication.
First-degree criminal sexual conduct carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Panwar's next court appearance is set for April 21.
