Charges: St. Peter man got 'weird in the bedroom' before choking, assaulting woman

Nicollet County Government Center

A St. Peter man is accused of a drunken domestic and sexual assault on the mother of his child.

Ryan Michael Darge, 33, was charged Tuesday in Nicollet County Court with felony counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, domestic assault, false imprisonment, and threats of violence.

Police responded to two anonymous calls reporting a domestic assault at a St. Peter residence on the night of Feb 21.

When officers arrived, they found a woman standing in below-freezing temperatures wearing only a bra and a transparent fishnet outfit. Darge was naked from the waist down, according to the complaint.

Court documents say Darge and the woman have lived together since July 2020, and have a 4-month-old child together that was inside the home.

The woman told officers Darge had drank nearly an entire bottle of whiskey by himself and tried to initiate sex with her. She told officers she wasn’t interested, but Darge became angry. He made her put on the fishnet outfit, says the complaint.

Darge allegedly began getting “weird in the bedroom,” the victim told police. He began calling her a whore and a slut, and then threatened to kill her, telling her “this is the end,” says the complaint. The victim said Darge then choked her so hard she nearly passed out.

The charging document says Darge smashed the woman’s head into a window and forced her into sexual acts. She told police she did whatever Darge asked in hopes of deescalating the situation.

The woman said she tried to get outside and dial 911, but Darge wouldn’t let her call. He tried to force her back inside the home, but she started screaming, says the complaint. Officers found her cell phone in the snow.

Darge told police the woman had been drinking and became angry because she thought he was cheating on her, which the victim denied.

Police noted scratches on the victim’s face, neck, and arms, says the complaint.

A portable breath test put Darge’s blood-alcohol content at .22. He’s also facing misdemeanor charges of interrupting an emergency phone call and domestic assault.