Assault and Robbery at Northwest Rochester Apartment Complex
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man called 911 early today after he was assaulted and robbed in the parking lot of a northwest apartment complex.
Police Lieutenant Mike Sadauskis says the 34-year-old victim had just dropped off a passenger in the parking lot next to the H Building at The Gates of Rochester complex shortly after 1 am when he noticed a red, four-door, Toyota sedan slowly cruise past with the occupants of the car “eyeing him” before he lost sight of the other vehicle. Moments later, the victim said five Somali males approached his car and one of them asked if he was a specific person. After he confirmed his name, the man responded by punching him in the face through the driver’s side window.
Sadauskis says two other men then got inside his car and joined in assaulting him, while one of them grabbed his cell phone and $45 in cash he had placed in the dashboard. At that point, the victim started his car and drove a short distance before his attackers grabbed the keys and threw them into a nearby dumpster.
The victim, who is also of Somali-descent, then tried to flee on foot, but fell and was immediately surrounded by his attackers and stomped on as they demanded the password to his cell phone. Sadauskis says he overheard one of them asking if they should “just shoot him,” which prompted him to give up the code. As they were leaving, one of the attackers also threatened to kill the man if he called the police.
Lieutenant Sadauskis says the victim stated he did not have any idea why he was targeted, other than he was involved in some hard play during a recent soccer match. The only description he could provide was that one of his attackers was about 6-feet tall with a heavy build.
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