A St. Cloud, Minnesota couple was arrested and charged with assault after trying to run a man over with their truck. The couple allegedly held down a Black man that was in their neighborhood and threatened to run him over while hurling racial slurs at him.
Minnesota radio station KNSI reported that 58-year-old Aaron Charles Stevens and his 41-year-old girlfriend, Myrna Angelica Alanis spotted a Black man in their neighborhood picking up a fan. Stevens left his home to confront the man, yelling for him to get off his property.
Local police reported that Stevens broke a glass bottle and threw it at the victim, causing a bruise on his face. The raging white male proceeded to yell racial slurs at the man and “charged at the man with a large tie strap with metal hooks,” KNSI reported.
While attacking the man Stevens ordered Alanis to get in the truck and run the man over as he held him down. Alanis got into the truck, revved the engine and began backing the truck up according to witnesses.
The victim managed to break free and run off as Stevens chased him with an ax.
Stevens willingly admitted his offense to authorities. He’s facing three counts of second-degree assault with a weapon with a bond of $300,000 and his accomplice Alanis faces a second-degree assault charge and a bond of $100,000.
Assistant Stearns County Attorney Kyle Triggs told the St.Cloud Times, “We are taking into consideration the race-motivated aspect of this crime with respect to sentencing.” He continued, “That could play a role in increasing the sentencing, dependent on the court and the jury.”