Faribault Stabbing Suspect Arrested After Fleeing to Missouri
A man accused of a violent stabbing in Faribault has been taken into custody in Missouri.
Ricardo Ortiz, 46, was arrested on the afternoon of March 4 by the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri.
Ortiz faces multiple felony charges including first-degree attempted murder while committing a felony, second-degree attempted murder with intent and first-degree assault causing great bodily harm.
According to a criminal complaint, Ortiz is accused of breaking into his neighbor’s basement apartment and attacking him with a knife after an argument over noise complaints.
The incident occurred late March 1, 2025. The victim called 911 at around 11:40 p.m., reporting that he had been stabbed and was struggling to breathe. During the call, a person could be heard in the background and making threats, twice stating, “I’m going to kill you.”
Responding officers arrived at the residence on the 600 block of 3rd Avenue Northwest and found the victim with multiple stab wounds including injuries to his left side, stomach and arm. The victim told police he had filed a noise complaint about his upstairs neighbor earlier in the evening. Shortly after, Ortiz allegedly forced his way into the victim’s apartment, initiating a physical struggle. The victim reported striking Ortiz with a bat in self-defense before being stabbed multiple times. Ortiz then fled the scene, leaving behind a cowboy hat.
Witnesses at the apartment complex identified Ortiz as the suspect. Officers attempted to locate him, and a woman later told police she had been out searching for her boyfriend, Ortiz, after he left a birthday party at their shared residence.
Authorities issued a warrant for Ortiz’s arrest before he was located and taken into custody in Missouri. Details about Ortiz’s extradition were not available as of publication.
He is charged with attempted first-degree murder while committing a felony, attempted second-degree murder with intent, first-degree assault causing great bodily harm, second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and first-degree burglary involving an assault. Ortiz faces up to 20 years in prison on the most serious charges.
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