A Saint Paul man grabbed a knife and threatened a coworker during a work trip in Duluth, according to charges.
Iseim Jose Cruz Jimenez, 34, faces a charge of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to the complaint, officers responded on September 19 to a report of a person with a weapon in Duluth. Officers found the victim, an adult male, walking on a sidewalk. The victim told officers he was not injured and explained that he speaks little English. He said he and two coworkers were staying at an Airbnb provided by their employer while working on a project in the area.
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The victim reported that earlier that day, he and his coworkers spent about two hours at a bar down the road, went back to the Airbnb and then got a ride from a neighbor to a store, where they bought alcohol before returning. After they returned, the victim said, Jimenez began to “go crazy,” made comments disparaging Mexico and then grabbed a knife and threatened him with it.
The victim told officers he recorded video of the threat. In the video, an officer observed Jimenez holding a knife and raising it above his head as if about to swing it downward toward the victim. The victim flinched and turned the camera away, appearing to protect himself. The video then showed Jimenez placing the knife on a counter, and the recording ended shortly after.
The victim said that after Jimenez threatened him, he shoved Jimenez and ran into another room, locking himself inside. Jimenez began pounding on the door but eventually stopped. When Jimenez went into the bathroom, the victim ran out of the Airbnb and left the residence to call 911. The victim stated he was scared and believed he was going to die, and that his main goal was to escape.
The victim told officers he only knew Jimenez through work and did not know his name, despite staying together for about 15 days. The victim briefly mentioned the other coworker staying at the Airbnb, who had been with them at the bar and the store, but said he did not know where that man was during the incident.
Officers later contacted the neighbor who had driven the group to the store and found Jimenez with him, sitting in the passenger seat of the neighbor’s car. Officers confirmed Jimenez was the person depicted in the victim’s video. A search of the apartment revealed a knife on the kitchen counter consistent with the one seen in the video.
The charge was filed Tuesday, September 22, in Saint Louis County District Court.
About This Charge
Minnesota classifies assault by degree under § 609.221 (first), § 609.222 (second), § 609.223 (third), § 609.2231 (fourth) and § 609.224 (fifth). First-degree assault, alleging great bodily harm, carries up to 20 years in prison. The lower degrees range from misdemeanor up to 10-year felony exposure depending on weapon use and harm.
Related MN CRIME Coverage
Duluth Woman Charged in Break-In That Injured 2 • Duluth Man Charged After Gun Threat and Assault Downtown • Duluth Man Charged After Bystander Assault, Death Threats
Jurisdictional Context
Saint Louis County is Minnesota’s largest county by area, stretching from Duluth to the Canadian border. The Saint Louis County Attorney’s Office prosecutes felonies through the Sixth Judicial District; cases are heard at courthouses in Duluth, Hibbing and Virginia.
