Attempted Murder Charges Filed in Roseville Gas Station Attack

Oct 3

A New Brighton man is in custody after authorities say he repeatedly stabbed his boss at a Roseville gas station this week.

The attack left the victim with severe injuries that doctors say may be life-altering.

> Sign up for the MN CRIME newsletter

According to the charges filed Thursday, 26-year-old Nebil Seid Birhan is accused of attacking his 58-year-old employer inside the BP station at 3110 Cleveland Avenue on Sept. 30.

Surveillance video reportedly shows Birhan removing a pocket knife, flicking the blade open, and swinging it at his boss’s throat without warning while the man’s back was turned. The victim, who owns part of the station, told police he had just been speaking to Birhan moments earlier before the knife attack began.

Witnesses said Birhan continued stabbing as the two moved through the store and into the parking lot, where he knocked the victim down and got on top of him. Another customer, who had just completed a purchase at the counter, said Birhan turned the knife toward him as well before fleeing in a black Camry. That customer was not injured.

The victim, bleeding heavily from multiple stab wounds to his body and neck, ran across the street where staff at a dental office provided aid until medics arrived. Doctors later told investigators his injuries were extremely serious, including a stab wound to his wrist that severed tendons and ligaments and could cause permanent damage.

READ MORE > Roseville coverage

Birhan later called 911, admitting he had stabbed his boss and describing himself as “a criminal.” Officers arrested him soon after, finding his clothing soaked in blood and a pocketknife in his possession. During transport, investigators noted Birhan was talking to himself and making noises in the back of the squad car.

At the hospital, the victim told police he had employed Birhan for about a year, had never disciplined him and considered him a good worker. He said Birhan had recently appeared very tired at work, and he suspected Birhan had been struggling with mental health issues and an ongoing court case.

Birhan later told detectives he suffers from hallucinations and hears voices, and that a voice told him to stab his boss that day. He admitted the victim had done nothing to provoke him and called the man “a good boss and my helper.” He acknowledged knowing it was wrong but said he could not stop himself. He also expressed suicidal thoughts, telling police, “I just wanna die.”

Prosecutors charged Birhan with second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. He is being held on $1 million bail following his first court appearance Thursday. A competency evaluation was also ordered at his court appearance.

Birhan is also involved in a separate Ramsey County Mental Health Court case from 2024 in which he was accused of breaking into a stranger’s home with a knife.

> See more of our latest coverage