Dogs Punched and Owner Threatened, Charges Say, in Ironton

A woman in Ironton hid behind her front door and called 911 as a man forced his way into her home, threatened to kill her and her dogs and began kicking and punching the animals, according to the complaint.

Marshall Thomas Jarvela, 46, is charged in Crow Wing County District Court with first-degree burglary involving assault, first-degree burglary of an occupied dwelling, threats of violence and fifth-degree assault with prior convictions. The charges were filed October 30.

The complaint says that at about 4 p.m. on October 28, Deerwood and Crosby officers were dispatched to a home on Irene Avenue in Ironton for a reported burglary in progress. The victim told dispatch that a man she did not know had broken into her house.

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An officer arrived and saw the front door open with a man standing in the doorway, later identified as Marshall Thomas Jarvela. The officer also saw the victim standing behind the door, speaking with dispatch. When asked to step outside, Jarvela instead walked back into the residence and did not comply with officers’ instructions.

According to the complaint, Jarvela appeared to be slurring his words and did not seem to understand what officers were saying. An officer recognized Jarvela from earlier disturbances that day, where Jarvela had been found with a bottle of alcohol.

Additional officers arrived and spoke with the victim, who confirmed she did not know Jarvela and that he was not allowed in her home. The complaint states the victim heard her door creak open, saw Jarvela enter without knocking or being let in and then watched as he kicked and punched her dogs, saying he was going to kill them.

The victim told officers she screamed at Jarvela to leave, but he began screaming back, threatened to kill her and called her derogatory names. She managed to get the dogs away from Jarvela as he continued to hit them, then hid behind the door while on the phone with 911. Jarvela eventually sat down on the couch and refused to leave when told.

Officers arrested Jarvela at the scene. The complaint says Jarvela repeatedly claimed he was not doing anything wrong and did not answer when asked why he was there.