Four Group Home Residents Charged with Assault UPDATED
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From Grand Rapids, Minnesota, “An 18-year-old and three 17-year-old males have been taken into custody and are facing charges in connection with an assault at a Grand Rapids group home early Saturday morning that left a staff member with head injuries.
Dacota Geoffrey Smith, 18, of Bemidji made an appearance before Itasca County District Court Judge Jon Maturi Monday morning on pending charges of second degree assault in connection with the incident. On Tuesday, a statement from the Itasca County Attorney’s office stated that Smith was charged with felony first degree assault, two counts of felony second degree assault and one count of third degree assault.
Prosecuting attorney Heidi Chandler, saying it was “a significant offense,” requested bail for Smith in the amount of $100,000 without conditions or $50,000 with conditions including drug and alcohol restrictions.
Defense attorney Chad Sterle stated there was no issue with the restrictions, but whether bail was set at $50,000 or $5,000, Smith didn’t have the ability to post bail.
Maturi said he was going to follow the state’s recommendation and set bail as requested. He also set Smith’s next court hearing for 9 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 22.
According to an incident report from the Grand Rapids Police Department and Grand Rapids Police Chief Scott Johnson, officers responded to the home on 20th Street Northwest around 3:45 a.m. on Dec. 13 after receiving a report of an assault. Officers were directed to a closed door where they noticed a large quantity of blood around the door.
Johnson said officers found a male staff member with serious head injuries. The victim told officers that four residents of the group home attacked him without warning, using fists, a frying pan and pool balls stuffed in a stocking in the assault. The frying pan was allegedly dented out of shape in the assault.
The four then fled before officers arrived. Johnson said one suspect was located near the home while the other three suspects were located near a gas station in Cohasset. All four were taken into custody. Smith is currently in custody at the Itasca County Jail while the three juveniles, whose names have not been released, are in custody at the Itasca Juvenile Correctional Facility.
Johnson said it appeared the four had planned to steal a vehicle and then attempt to obtain cigarettes.
The victim was transported to Grand Itasca Hospital and Clinic. His condition is unknown at press time.
The statement from the county attorney’s officer reported that the three juveniles made appearances in Itasca County Juvenile Court on Monday after being charged with four felonies. No further details were released.”
Four charged in group home assault[Grand Rapids Herald Review 12/17/14 by Lisa Rosemore]
“Four teenage residents of a Grand Rapids group home used frying pans, a computer monitor and a sock full of pool balls to attack a staff member before fleeing from the facility, according to criminal charges.”
“The teens allegedly admitted to police that they devised a plan to use the weapons to beat the staff member in order to gain access to cigarettes, medication and car keys before fleeing the home.
The unidentified staff member sustained a closed head injury, facial fractures, a head wound requiring multiple sutures and multiple contusions to his back, elbow and forearm, according to a criminal complaint.
Three of the teens were arrested on foot later that morning, while the fourth was taken into custody at the group home”
“Itasca County Attorney Jack Muhar reported that he has filed a motion to have the three certified as adults. Probable cause hearings have been scheduled for Dec. 31, and certification hearings for Jan. 14 and Feb. 4.
The three juveniles are being held in the secure unit at the Itaskin Juvenile Center”
“Officers were dispatched to the Teens in Transition group home after the employee placed a 911 call at 4:26 a.m. Saturday.
The man told police that he was working when Smith approached him in the office and asked him to get him some crackers for an upset stomach.
The employee said Smith and another teen then punched him and knocked him to the ground, while the other teens got a frying pan and a sock full of pool balls and began assaulting him. He said he was hit on the head with the frying pan and on the upper body with the other weapon.
The worker said he did not strike back at the teens and was afraid that he was going to be killed.
Smith then began hitting the employee with a computer monitor, as the other three ran out of the office. The employee was eventually able to force Smith out of the office and dial 911 on his cellphone.
Smith was arrested at the group home. The three other teens were arrested on foot after a brief search.
Investigators spoke with Smith and two of the juveniles, all of whom admitted that they had planned the attack. One teen said the four had “talked about how to obtain cigarettes from a locked area controlled by staff at the group home and also discussed a plan to lure the staff member to a bedroom, distract him, assault him, remove facility keys, gain access to a locked office, remove medications and facility vehicle keys and run from the facility.”
Records indicate that Smith is on probation for a fifth-degree assault conviction from Aug. 5. The other suspects also have juvenile criminal history, including fifth-degree assault and third-degree criminal sexual conduct.”
Four teens face charges in assault on Grand Rapids group home staffer [Duluth News Tribune 12/17/14 by Tom Olsen]
REFORM Puzzle Piece
Update: “A sentencing worksheet has been ordered for a Bemidji teen charged in connection with an assault on a group home staffer.
Dacota Geoffrey Smith, 18, appeared before Itasca County District Court Judge Jon Maturi Monday morning. Smith has been charged with one count of first degree assault, two counts of second degree assault and one count of third degree assault, all felonies, in connection with a Dec. 13 assault that left a staff member of a Grand Rapids group home with great bodily harm.
During the hearing, defense attorney Chad Sterle told the court that discovery in the case was not yet complete and he asked that the case be scheduled for a hearing on Jan. 13.
“We hope to have a resolution (to the case) by then,” Sterle said.
Prosecuting attorney Dave Schmit requested a guideline sentencing worksheet on the first degree assault charge and then told the court that the prosecution would be filing a notice of aggravated sentencing. Sterle added that Count 2, one of the second degree assault charges, should be included in the worksheet.
Three 17-year-old teens have also been charged in connection with the assault. In a statement from Itasca County Attorney Jack Muhar, he stated a motion has been filed to certify proceedings against the juveniles into adult court. Probable cause hearings have been set in the juvenile cases for Dec. 31 and certification hearings have been set for Jan. 14 and Feb. 4.
According to an earlier interview with Grand Rapids Police Chief Scott Johnson and an incident report from the Grand Rapids Police Department, officers responded to the home on 20th Street Northwest around 3:45 a.m. on Dec. 13 after receiving a report of an assault. Officers were directed to a closed door where they noticed a large quantity of blood around the door.
Johnson said officers found a male staff member with serious head injuries. The victim told officers that four residents of the group home attacked him without warning, using fists, a frying pan and pool balls stuffed in a stocking in the assault. The frying pan was allegedly dented out of shape in the assault.
The four then fled before officers arrived. Johnson said one suspect was located near the home while the other three suspects were located near a gas station in Cohasset. All four were taken into custody.
Johnson said it appeared the four had planned to steal a vehicle and then attempt to obtain cigarettes.
The victim was transported to Grand Itasca Hospital and Clinic.
Smith is currently in custody at the Itasca County Jail while the three juveniles, whose names have not been released, are in custody at the Itasca Juvenile Correctional Facility.”
Hearing held for teen in connection with group home assault[Grand Rapids Herald Review 12/24/14 by Lisa Rosemore ]
“A sentencing worksheet has been ordered for a Bemidji teen charged in connection with an assault on a group home staffer.
Dacota Geoffrey Smith, 18, appeared before Itasca County District Court Judge Jon Maturi Monday morning. Smith has been charged with one count of first degree assault, two counts of second degree assault and one count of third degree assault, all felonies, in connection with a Dec. 13 assault that left a staff member of a Grand Rapids group home with great bodily harm.
During the hearing, defense attorney Chad Sterle told the court that discovery in the case was not yet complete and he asked that the case be scheduled for a hearing on Jan. 13.
“We hope to have a resolution (to the case) by then,” Sterle said.
Prosecuting attorney Dave Schmit requested a guideline sentencing worksheet on the first degree assault charge and then told the court that the prosecution would be filing a notice of aggravated sentencing. Sterle added that Count 2, one of the second degree assault charges, should be included in the worksheet.
Three 17-year-old teens have also been charged in connection with the assault. In a statement from Itasca County Attorney Jack Muhar, he stated a motion has been filed to certify proceedings against the juveniles into adult court. Probable cause hearings have been set in the juvenile cases for Dec. 31 and certification hearings have been set for Jan. 14 and Feb. 4.
According to an earlier interview with Grand Rapids Police Chief Scott Johnson and an incident report from the Grand Rapids Police Department, officers responded to the home on 20th Street Northwest around 3:45 a.m. on Dec. 13 after receiving a report of an assault. Officers were directed to a closed door where they noticed a large quantity of blood around the door.
Johnson said officers found a male staff member with serious head injuries. The victim told officers that four residents of the group home attacked him without warning, using fists, a frying pan and pool balls stuffed in a stocking in the assault. The frying pan was allegedly dented out of shape in the assault.
The four then fled before officers arrived. Johnson said one suspect was located near the home while the other three suspects were located near a gas station in Cohasset. All four were taken into custody.
Johnson said it appeared the four had planned to steal a vehicle and then attempt to obtain cigarettes.
The victim was transported to Grand Itasca Hospital and Clinic.
Smith is currently in custody at the Itasca County Jail while the three juveniles, whose names have not been released, are in custody at the Itasca Juvenile Correctional Facility.”
Sentencing worksheet ordered in group home assault[Hibbington Daily Tribune 12/27/14 by Lisa Rosemore ]
Update 2: “A hearing for a Bemidji teen charged in connection with an assault at a Grand Rapids group home has been continued to Feb. 2.
Dacota Geoffrey Smith, 18, appeared before Itasca County District Court Judge Jon Maturi Tuesday morning. Smith has been charged with one count of first degree assault, two counts of second degree assault and one count of third degree assault, all felonies, in connection with a Dec. 13 assault that left a staff member of a Grand Rapids group home with great bodily harm.
During the brief court appearance, Smith’s attorney, Chad Sterle, told the court they were still waiting for more discovery in the case and requested the hearing be continued to Feb. 2.
Before granting the request, Maturi noted it appeared there were active warrants on Smith from out of the area. Sterle answered there were, but neither Maturi nor Sterle elaborated on the warrants.
In addition to Smith, three 17-year-old juveniles have also been charged in connection with the assault. According to an earlier release from the Itasca County Attorney’s office, two juveniles made appearances on charges connected to the incident. Those charges were not released.
The statement stated that one juvenile waived his right to claim there is insufficient probable cause to believe he committed the offenses. The second juvenile made a motion to dismissed the four felony offenses, claiming there is insufficient probable cause to believe he committed the offenses.
The statement reported that the court took the matter under advisement and is expected to issue a written decision prior to the juveniles’ next court hearings on Feb. 4.
The prosecution has filed motions to certify the proceedings against the 17-year-olds into adult court.
According to an earlier interview with Grand Rapids Police Chief Scott Johnson and an incident report from the Grand Rapids Police Department, officers responded to the home on 20th Street Northwest around 3:45 a.m. on Dec. 13 after receiving a report of an assault. Officers were directed to a closed door where they noticed a large quantity of blood around the door.
Johnson said officers found a male staff member with serious head injuries. The victim told officers that four residents of the group home attacked him without warning, using fists, a frying pan and pool balls stuffed in a stocking in the assault. The frying pan was allegedly dented out of shape in the assault.
The four then fled before officers arrived. Johnson said one suspect was located near the home while the other three suspects were located near a gas station in Cohasset. All four were taken into custody.
Johnson said it appeared the four had planned to steal a vehicle and then attempt to obtain cigarettes.
The victim was transported to Grand Itasca Hospital and Clinic.
Smith is currently in custody at the Itasca County Jail while the three juveniles, whose names have not been released, are in custody at the Itasca Juvenile Correctional Facility.”
Hearing in group home assault case is continued[Mesabi Daily News 1/16/15 by Lisa Rosemore ]
Update 3:”A teenager pleaded guilty on Monday to his part in the assault of a staff member in a Grand Rapids group home.
Smith’s plea agreement anticipates that he will be placed on 10 years of probation on conditions including serving one year in jail and no contact with the victim, Muhar said in a news release. A sentence of 206 months in prison would be stayed.
Smith and three juveniles were accused of attacking an employee of the Teens in Transition group home early on the morning of Dec. 13. The employee told police that Smith and another teen punched him and knocked him to the ground, and that the two other teens assaulted him with a frying pan and a sock full of pool balls.
The staff member said Smith also hit him with a computer monitor. After breaking free from Smith, the employee dialed 911. He was taken by ambulance to Grand Itasca Hospital for treatment of his injuries.
Smith is being held without bail in the Itasca County Jail. His sentencing hearing is set for April 20.”
The three juveniles also were charged with felonies. Their cases were being heard in juvenile court.
Teenager pleads guilty to assault at Grand Rapids group home[Duluth News Tribune 2/2/15]
Update 4: “Two former Grand Rapids group home residents have been sentenced for their roles in the violent assault of a staff member in December
Jared Marquee Beaulieu and Dacota Geoffrey Smith, both 18, will serve time behind bars for the Dec. 13 assault, which involved a sock full of pool balls, a frying pan and a computer monitor.
At a Monday appearance in State District Court in Grand Rapids, Judge Jon Maturi sentenced Beaulieu to an executed sentence of six years and two months in prison. Smith received a sentence of just over 17 years, but had the time stayed in favor of 10 years of probation, which will include a year at the Itasca County Jail.
The charges allege that Beaulieu, Smith and two other juveniles severely beat a staff member at the Teens in Transition group home in order to steal cigarettes and medication before running from the facility.
Beaulieu and Smith each pleaded guilty to a count of first-degree assault. The two other defendants are facing charges in juvenile court.'”
Two teens sentenced in Grand Rapids group home assault[Duluth News Tribune 3/16/15]
Update 5:”It appears the question of whether or not a suspect in a violent group home assault has an attorney has been answered.
Dylan Lee King, 18, of Cloquet, made an appearance before Itasca County District Court Judge Korey Wahwassuck for a review hearing Tuesday afternoon. The hearing was held to determine if King would be retaining an attorney or have a public defender appointed by the court.
King has been charged with one count of first degree assault, two counts of second degree assault and one count of third degree assault, all felonies. The charges stem from a December assault that left a group home staffer with serious injuries. King was 17 at the time of the assault.
King’s case has been delayed due to his attorney situation.
The hearing was recessed for a brief time to allow King to completely fill out the public defender application. After the hearing was reconvened, Wahwassuck approved the application.
Online court records show that public defender Gayle Lovejoy has been assigned to King’s case.
According to the criminal complaint, four group home residents discussed ways to get cigarettes, and planned to assault a staff member, steal keys to a van and flee the group home. Early morning on Dec. 13, the four assaulted a staff member with pots, pans and a sock filled with pool balls.
The criminal complaint stated that the victim suffered a closed head injury, facial fractures, a head wound requiring multiple sutures and multiple contusions to his back, elbow and forearm.
The complaint noted that all four suspects have previous juvenile court convictions.
Two individuals involved with the assault have been sentenced. Dacota Geoffrey Smith, of Bemidji, and Jerod Marquee Beaulieu, of Red Lake, Minn., both 18, were sentenced for their parts in the assault on March 16. Beaulieu, who was 17 at the time of the assault, is serving a 74-month prison sentence while Smith is serving one year in the Itasca County Jail. Smith has a stayed 206-month prison sentence hanging over his head and was placed on 10 years probation with conditions as part of his conviction.
A third individual, Ricky Leland Wirz, 17, of Brainerd, previously pleaded guilty to one charge of felony first degree assault and is currently in custody at the Itasca County Jail awaiting sentencing on July 27.
Beaulieu, Wirz and King, who were all 17 at the time of the assaults, were originally charged in juvenile court. Beaulieu agreed to have his case moved to adult court while separate motions to move Wirz’s and King’s cases to adult court were granted in late March.
King’s next court date is set for July 27. He is currently released on $50,000 with conditions.”
Attorney appointed for suspect in group home assault[Hibbing Daily Tribune 7/19/15 by Lisa Rosemore]
Update 6:”One of the suspects charged in assaulting a staff member at a Grand Rapids group home has pleaded guilty in Itasca County District Court.
Dylan Lee King, originally of Cloquet, pleaded guilty to one count of Assault in the First Degree on Monday.
The plea comes following an agreement with the prosecution that King will be sentenced to 103 months in prison, but that execution of the sentence would be stayed and that King would be placed on 10 years of supervised probation on conditions including 110 days in jail and no contact with the victim.
King’s sentencing is set for September eighth.”
Suspect in group home attack pleads guilty [Northlands News Center 7/28/15 by Krystal Frasier]
Update 7:”A third teenager has been sentenced in the severe beating of a Grand Rapids group-home worker.
Ricky Leland Wirz, 18, will avoid a 103-month prison sentence if he successfully completes 10 years of supervised probation. Judge Korey Wahwassuck accepted a plea agreement in the case and imposed the sentence recommended by attorneys.Wirz pleaded guilty in May to a first-degree assault charge. Authorities said Wirz and three other residents of the Teens in Transition group beat a worker with objects including a sock full of pool balls, a frying pan and a computer monitor in order to gain access to car keys and run from the facility on Dec. 13, 2014.”
Third teen sentenced for beating Grand Rapids group-home worker [WDAY 8/5/15 ]
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