A Saint Paul man is facing multiple charges after allegedly breaking into an apartment and assaulting a young girl.
The incident occurred in the early morning hours at the 1500 block of Westminster Street, where the victim, born in 2011, was awakened by an unknown masked male.
Eduart Gomez Ochoa, 27, of Saint Paul, faces charges of 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct, 1st-degree burglary, and 3rd-degree assault. According to the complaint, Gomez Ochoa entered the apartment through a window and assaulted the victim by holding her down and sexually assaulting her. The victim attempted to fight him off, but he picked her up and threw her against a mirror, causing substantial bodily harm.
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The victim’s younger sibling was present during the incident and ran to inform their mother, who was in another bedroom. Upon police arrival, they interviewed the victim, her mother and her brother. The mother reported hearing commotion but noted that loud noises were not uncommon in the building. The brother witnessed a man in all black fleeing the scene through the window. Officers collected evidence, including a winter hat found outside the window, which the victim confirmed belonged to the assailant. They also lifted latent prints from the window that matched Gomez Ochoa.
The victim was taken to the Midwest Children’s Resource Center for examination, where medical professionals collected swabs from her foot. Testing of the evidence revealed a major male DNA profile matching Gomez Ochoa. He was apprehended on May 17, 2026 and admitted to being in the apartment with the victim but claimed they had met at a gas station and entered together. He denied entering through the window and stated that he slid the victim across the room after seeing a firearm in her dresser drawer.
Gomez Ochoa is currently in custody at the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center. He has an upcoming court appearance scheduled for June 9, 2026.
