Inmate Charged with Assault After Throwing Bodily Fluids
DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA - An inmate at the Dakota County Adult Detention Center was charged with 4th Degree Assault on a deputy of the facility after they threw an unknown liquid and human feces at the deputy.
The office occurred on December 26, 2023, after inmate Angel Valdez was overheard saying he had a "biohazard." Valdez refused commands from deputies to remove his shoes before entering his room, which is a jail policy. He then threw a styrofoam tray that was covered with an unknown liquid and human feces at the deputy. The tray hit the ground, and the contents of the tray landed on the deputy's clothing.
The criminal complaint states that the Dakota County Attorney's Office charged Valdez with 4th Degree Assault (Correctional Facility Employee, Prosecutor, Judge, or Probation Officer) (Throws or Transfers Bodily Fluids), which comes with a 0-2 year sentence and/or a fine of $1,200 to $4,000.
Valdez is currently in the Dakota County Jail after he was arrested by South St Paul Officers on October 20, 2023, for being suspected of driving while impaired. According to the criminal complaint, an officer observed Valdez commit several traffic infractions, including an inoperable brake light, not using a turn signal while changing lanes, remaining stopped at a green light, and driving well under the posted speed limit. When the officer stopped Valdez, he had bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech, and was making incoherent statements to the officer. Eventually, Valdez told the officer to leave him alone and drove off from the traffic stop. A short distance later, he stopped and was placed under arrest.
While under arrest, Valdez reportedly started hitting his head against the wall and attempted to throw a detention bench that he was handcuffed to, according to the criminal complaint. When an officer intervened and put his arm against the wall to prevent him from hurting himself, Valdez grabbed the Taser on the officer's vest and put his hands around the grip while pulling on it. The officer was able to pull his hands off the Taser, and he was handcuffed to a bench on the floor. In the end, officers got a search warrant to collect a blood sample around 9:55 PM to test his blood-alcohol level. Valdez was told that refusing would be a crime, but he continued to decline the blood draw.
From this incident, the Dakota County Attorney's Office charged Valdez with Felony Attempted Disarming of a Peace Officer, which comes with a sentence of 0 to 2.5 years and/or a fine of $1,500 to $5,000. He was also charged with 3rd Degree Driving While Impaired (Refusal/Blood or Urine), which comes with a 0 to 1-year sentence and/or a fine of $900 to $3,000. His bond with the traffic DWI and disarming a peace officer was set at $100,000 without conditions and $75,000 with conditions. His bond for the 4th-degree assault was set at $50,000 without conditions and $25,000 with conditions. His bond has not been posted for either, and he remains in Dakota County Jail as this article was written. His next court appearance is on January 23, 2024, at 1:30 PM in Hastings, Minnesota.
Dakota County Jail
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