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Inset: Tristen Alan Leritz (Ramsey County Sheriff”s Office). Background: Intersection of Centerville Road and Pond View Court in Vadnais Heights, Minnesota, where Leritz allegedly raped a woman (Google Maps).
A Minnesota resident is facing serious allegations after reportedly succumbing to what he described as “stupid urges,” resulting in the sexual assault of a woman who feared for her life during the attack.
Tristen Alan Leritz, 21, has been charged with criminal sexual conduct. According to an arrest affidavit from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred on the evening of October 28. The 51-year-old victim was out for a walk in Vadnais Heights, a suburb of Minneapolis, while speaking with a friend on the phone.
Without warning, a man approached her from behind, forcefully tackling her to the ground and threatening her to remain silent.
“She shouted to her friend on the phone to alert 911. In a desperate struggle, she managed to grab his glasses and toss them into the grass, hoping to deter him. Despite passing cars, no one stopped to assist. Her cries for help echoed,” the police report noted.
The woman described her assailant as a considerably larger individual, overpowering her as he pinned her down.
“She was unable to breathe,” the affidavit stated. “The male took his forearm and pressed down on her neck. She believed that she was going to die.”
He then proceeded to sexually assault her for 15 to 30 minutes, per police. After the assault was over, the suspect “casually” walked away, cops said. She ran to a nearby home for help. When deputies arrived, she had leaves stuck in her hair and her hands were shaking. She had a red abrasion across her throat and cuts on her face.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension analyzed DNA and came up with a match for Leritz. After hearing about the glasses the victim knocked off during the assault, Leritz’s family also alerted cops, according to local CBS affiliate WCCO.
After receiving his Miranda rights, Leritz at first denied assaulting the woman. But when confronted with all the evidence, he eventually admitted to his actions, cops said. He said he was riding his bicycle when he spotted the woman walking alone, cops wrote. Leritz allegedly said he thought to himself “F— it, since I’m a virgin.”
He watched her for about five minutes and then waited for her to pass him. When she did, the 6-foot-8-inch, 248-pound man pounced on her, according to deputies. He allegedly said “it escalated from there … my stupid urges took control.” Leritz said he “fully raped her,” the affidavit stated.
When he was done, he rode his bicycle home.
Leritz has a previous conviction for theft of a motor vehicle and has a pending charge for robbery, cops say. He’s currently in the Ramsey County Jail. His next court date is scheduled for Nov. 25.