Charges: Man Threatens Homeowner During Rochester Home Invasion

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Charges have been filed against a Rochester man accused of breaking into a home last week and threatening the homeowner.

A criminal complaint filed in Olmsted County Court says Rochester police responded to a report of a burglary around 5 p.m. on August 8. When the officers arrived at the residence on 3rd Street Northwest, they spoke with a man who reported that he heard someone banging on the door to the home and screaming, "Where is Sarah?"

When the homeowner went downstairs, he discovered a man had pushed through the locked door and was coming toward him with his fists raised. The victim told police the intruder stated that he was going to beat him up or kill him.

The victim said he backed up as the intruder swung at him with a closed fist, and he was able to block the punch with his arm. When the intruder kept coming at him, the victim said he grabbed a knife from his kitchen and ordered the man to leave.

Get our free mobile app

Once the intruder saw the knife, the victim told police he fled from the residence. A video recording captured him walking down the sidewalk wearing a black T-shirt, black pants, and glasses.

The victim’s son was upstairs sleeping, and his wife was in a back room on the lower level. The criminal complaint says she provided a statement to police that was consistent with her husband's version of the events.

Rochester police located the suspect a short time later at the intersection of 4th Street and 6th Avenue Northwest. The court document says 25-year-old Siara Mae Pries underwent a mental health evaluation and was then transported to the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center.

He has been charged with first-degree burglary, felony terroristic threats, and gross misdemeanor assault. Bail for Pries was set at $20,000.

The criminal complaint indicates Pries has a previous conviction for threats of violence for an incident in March of last year. He was accused of placing a knife at the throat of a security guard at St. Marys Hospital before slashing the top of the guard's hand and biting her. He was sentenced to three years of probation.