Charges: Man beat woman in front of children, sending her to hospital

A Mankato man is facing charges for allegedly beating a woman in front of two small children, sending her to the hospital.

Lionel Maurice Arnold, 35, was charged Tuesday in Nicollet County Court with felony counts of 1st-degree assault, 3rd-degree assault, domestic assault, and false imprisonment.

According to a criminal complaint, Arnold arrived at the woman’s North Mankato apartment acting “weird” on April 6 and began accusing the victim of infidelity.  He refused to let the woman leave and wrestled with her near the door, according to the complaint.

The complaint says the woman went to the balcony and screamed for someone to call police.  A witness heard the woman call for help from the balcony.  She told police she saw Arnold drag the victim inside the apartment by her feet as two small children looked on.  The witness said Arnold closed the apartment door and pulled the blinds shut.

Police arrived at the apartment after callers reported a disturbance.  Officers reported hearing the victim yelling that she’d been dragged around and beaten.  The complaint says she asked officers to break down the door, which they did after trying unsuccessfully to get someone to answer.

Police say Arnold came out of the apartment wearing only blood-stained socks and underwear.  The complaint says Arnold had blood on his face and hands and fingernail scratches on his chest and face.  He was handcuffed.

Court documents say the victim had two large lacerations on her face and one of her eyes was swelling shut.  Arnold allegedly told police the woman had fallen down the stairs.  The complaint says the victim called out Arnold as her attacker.

The complaint says the woman was transported to a hospital, where she received 12 stitches for the facial lacerations.

Court documents say Arnold was convicted in 2017 of felony domestic assault.  He also has a felony terroristic threats conviction from 2015 and was convicted of violating an Order for Protection, also in 2017.