CHARGES: Man Critically Injured 61-year-old in Assault Caught on Video

Aug 21

A Minneapolis man is facing a first-degree assault charge after prosecutors say he brutally attacked a 61-year-old man earlier this month, leaving him with life-threatening injuries.

According to the criminal complaint, police were called to Abbott Northwestern Hospital on Aug. 6 after the victim was admitted to the ICU.

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His wife told officers he had been found two days earlier by a neighbor at 10th Avenue South and 29th Street East in Minneapolis after being assaulted. She also said nearby surveillance video had captured the incident.

The victim told officers that since July 4 he had noticed a man repeatedly setting off fireworks in the area using a shopping cart full of them. On Aug. 4, he saw the man with another adult male and two children and began taking pictures. The men reportedly demanded he delete the photos and hand over his phone. The victim said the next thing he remembered was waking up in the hospital.

Medical staff documented a severe skull fracture, a brain bleed, a traumatic brain injury, a broken nose, and major facial damage. Records stated his condition carried a high probability of death or permanent deterioration.

Investigators reviewed surveillance video showing two men approaching the victim before one punched him in the face without warning. The victim fell backward, struck his head on the pavement, and remained motionless for several minutes. The second man was seen taking his cellphone before the pair walked away.

Video recorded minutes later showed the man who threw the punch entering a nearby parking ramp. His face and a forearm tattoo were clearly visible as he then drove away in a grey Volkswagen SUV. Police traced the vehicle to 31-year-old Tyler Lawrence Moore of Minneapolis.

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On Aug. 7, a city license plate reader recorded the same SUV in downtown Minneapolis. Surveillance video from that day showed the driver entering the Hennepin County Public Service Facility for a court date in a separate Bloomington assault case. Investigators matched Moore’s appearance and tattoo from body-worn camera footage with the assault suspect seen in the Aug. 4 video.

A woman identified as the mother of Moore’s children also confirmed he had both kids with him that night and drove a grey Volkswagen SUV, though she declined to say more. Moore denied involvement when contacted by police but later turned himself in on a probable cause warrant.

Moore remains in custody and is expected to make an initial court appearance Thursday afternoon. Bail is currently set at $150,000 with a no-contact order barring him from approaching the victim. If convicted of first-degree assault causing great bodily harm, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $30,000 fine.

Authorities did not provide an update on the victim’s condition as of publication.

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