Rochester man charged with three felonies in knife assault in Northwest Rochester
Jul. 8—One woman was left unable to lift one of her arms and another will be on crutches for a time following a knife attack at a Northwest Rochester apartment complex early Wednesday.
Omar Abudakar Maani made his first appearance in Olmsted County District Court Thursday morning on three felony charges — second-degree assault and two counts of first-degree assault. Judge Lisa Hayne ordered Maani released on conditions that he submit to electronic monitoring and not use or possess any firearms dangerous weapons. Unconditional bail was set at $75,000.
Rochester police were called about 2:40 a.m. Wednesday to Cascade Creek Apartments, 421 Sixth Ave. NW, by a person who reported that people were stabbing each other on the building's second floor and that two people were badly cut with a machete, according to the criminal complaint. A search warrant filed with the court indicates that police took a silver kitchen knife and a "long knife sheathe — black" from the apartment.
Officers arrived to find four women screaming in the hallway and blood smeared on the walls. Rochester police Capt. Casey Moilanen said Thursday morning that a 19-year-old Rochester woman's leg was cut and a 20-year-old woman's arm was cut in the assault.
Court documents state the "long deep gash" in the 19-year-old's leg was "deep enough to expose fatty tissue" and that the woman was unable to walk due to the injury and would require crutches for an unspecified amount of time. The cut to the 20-year-old woman's arm required surgery to repair and was deep enough to "cut through her muscle."
"The surgeons had done emergency repairs, but even after surgery (the woman) was unable to lift her arm," the criminal complaint states.
A third woman suffered a long, but shallow, cut to her back.
Maani is alleged to have attacked the women after becoming angry he could not find his vape pen after waking up.
"When confronted about his yelling, he grabbed a large machete-style knife and brandished it at his guests," the complaint reads.
The women ran and Maani reportedly gave chase, slicing at the women. He was gone when officers arrived. He was arrested about 11 a.m. Wednesday at a residence in Northeast Rochester.
His next court date is appearance is scheduled for Sept. 7.
