A man sexually assaulted a woman and demanded $15,000 before he would leave the home, prosecutors allege. The woman called 911 from a Saint Paul bank around 9:17 a.m. Sept. 17 to report the assault.
Jose Dolores Perez Rico, 36, of Saint Paul, is charged with felony third-degree criminal sexual conduct, unlawful firearm possession and stalking.
The woman told police Perez Rico had refused to leave the home and repeatedly threatened and assaulted her during the preceding two weeks. She said he monitored her phone and threatened retaliation if she called police, according to the complaint.
She reported that he grabbed her by the hair, hit her and forced her to have sex that morning. She said he then demanded the money and called repeatedly as she went to the bank, including a video call to check her location.
Officers found Perez Rico near a parked minivan outside the residence and arrested him. Other officers met the woman at the bank.
A forensic nurse documented 19 injuries, including scratches, bruises, abrasions and scars. The woman attributed many of them to Perez Rico and described repeated physical and sexual assaults, according to the complaint.
With the woman’s permission, officers searched the home and found a Benelli shotgun beneath a bed. They also recovered knives matching her description of earlier threats.
Perez Rico denied sexually assaulting the woman and said the encounter was consensual. He told investigators the $15,000 was money owed to him from a shared business and described it as a buyout that would allow him to leave. He also denied keeping her phone from her.
Perez Rico acknowledged repeatedly calling her while she was at the bank. After initially denying there were firearms in the home, he acknowledged the shotgun and said he had handled it to move it, according to the complaint.
Prosecutors say a prior felony threats-of-violence conviction prohibited him from possessing firearms.
