ELY – Two felony counts of burglary and assault were filed last week following a recent incident at Zenith Apartments involving two men, one from Ely and the other from Brooklyn Center.
Justin Charles McNulty, 24, of Ely, and Ashton, Jeremiah Swanson, 23, Brooklyn Center, were arrested and charged in St. Louis County District Court with two counts of first-degree burglary and fifth-degree assault following a Dec. 10 incident at the city’s Camp Street apartment complex.
According to the criminal complaint filed by the Ely Police Department and obtained by the Timberjay, police officers were dispatched to an apartment at the Zenith complex shortly after midnight on Thursday, Dec. 10. Police found broken glass, suggesting a window was broken from the outside. and upon entering the apartment found a male occupant on his hands and knees between the bed and the wall with multiple scratches on his back, bruises on his face and a bloody mouth.
The alleged victim, according to police, said he was attacked by both Swanson and McNulty.
In a statement, the alleged victim said he woke up to someone shaking his foot and observed both Swanson and McNulty in his apartment. They told him he “needed to quit threatening people.” Swanson and McNulty were told to leave, and later the alleged victim said he heard pounding on the door, and that Swanson soon came in through the window and unlocked the door.
According to the criminal complaint, the alleged victim said he was tackled to the ground by Swanson, who allegedly cut his back. He tried to fight back, and McNulty tried to get him off Swanson and later attempted to throw a punch.
Ely police officers later located both McNulty and Swanson and placed them under arrest. Both were questioned and, according to the report, both admitted to police to being at the apartment. McNulty told police they were at the apartment to discuss alleged threats made by the alleged victim.
McNulty told police they returned to the apartment 45 minutes after leaving and that Swanson broke the apartment window with his head, went inside and attacked “the living shit” out of the alleged victim.
Swanson told police of “hanging out” at the alleged victim’s residence and said he got into “a little tussle” with the alleged victim.
The burglary charges each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or a $35,000 fine. The misdemeanor assault charges carry a maximum penalty of 90 days incarceration and/or $1,000 fine.