Man tried to pull woman out of her St. Paul apartment window, charges say
A 28-year-old man is charged with first-degree burglary and attempted kidnapping in an incident at a St. Paul, Minnesota, apartment Thursday, court documents show.
According to a criminal complaint, officers with the St. Paul Police Department were sent to an apartment building on the 700 block of Como Avenue around 10:20 p.m. for an attempted kidnapping. A 21-year-old woman told them she was cooking at the stove near a window in her ground-level apartment when the man charged, identified as Eduart Gomez Ochoa, appeared with half of his body inside the residence, the court document said.
Gomez Ochoa, of Minneapolis, grabbed the woman and tried to pull her out the window, according to the complaint. She kicked and screamed, which caused him to let go and leave the scene. The court document said police at the scene recovered a hat and headband that she said belonged to him.
The woman picked Gomez Ochoa out of a photo lineup as the man who tried to kidnap her with 80% certainty, per the complaint. Police said they took him into custody on Saturday.
Court records show Gomez Ochoa made his first court appearance on Monday in connection with Thursday's incident. At the hearing, a judge set his bond at $150,000.
Gomez Ochoa is also charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct, first-degree burglary and third-degree assault in an incident on the 1500 block of Westminster Street in St. Paul in May, according to court records. The complaint said a male, later identified as Gomez Ochoa, entered through an apartment window in the area and sexually assaulted a girl before leaving the scene.
The Minneapolis man was apprehended in connection with the May incident 10 days after it happened, according to the complaint. While speaking with law enforcement on May 17, Gomez Ochoa admitted to assaulting the girl, the court document said. He allegedly denied entering the apartment through a window and told investigators he met up with her at a gas station and they came in together.
The complaint said the girl told police she didn't know who Gomez Ochoa was.
According to the Ramsey County Attorney's Office, Gomez Ochoa was released from custody by Hennepin County authorities on Sept. 30. Two days prior, authorities in Ramsey County agreed to release him to the custody of Hennepin County on an outstanding warrant.
"When we learned he was released from Hennepin County just two days later, we were both surprised and disappointed," the attorney's office said.
Attorney Joe Tamburino, who is not associated with either case, says the circumstances aren't common.
"It's not too often that you see a person being released on a very serious charge to go answer in another county a lesser charge. Usually, it's the opposite: you get released from the lesser charge to answer to the greater charge," Tamburino said.
If you know of a child who may have been a victim of exploitation, call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or visit the website.
Sexual Assault Resources
- (SOS – Ramsey County)
- Sexual Violence Center (SVC – Hennepin County)
- Aurora Center (U of MN)
- 360 Communities (Dakota County)
- Hope Center (Rice County)
- Canvas Health (Washington County)
- Alexandra House (Anoka County)
General Sites for information related to sexual assault and resources throughout Minnesota:
General Sexual Assault Websites:
