Suspect Arrested in Fridley Hammer Assault
Christopher James Stowell
Police have arrested a man in connection to a violent attack with a hammer in Fridley, Feb. 3, leaving the victim with unspecified injuries.
The 911 call came in just before 5 a.m. from a juvenile who said they were hiding in the bathroom with a sibling, and that their father was fighting with someone and yelling “you can’t hit me with a hammer!”
When officers arrived, the ski-masked male suspect had fled from the back door of the home. After conducting a lengthy search of the area, the suspect was not located at the time.
The victim and a woman who lives at the residence both identified the suspect by name as an ex-fiance of the woman. Christopher James Stowell, 30, of Spring Lake Park, was arrested on Feb. 7 on a warrant for 1st-degree burglary and 2nd-degree assault.
The victim told police that his dog began barking and when he went to check what the dog was barking at, he discovered Stowell at the front door, who began to punch him and hit him with a hammer, according to court documents.
Stowell had also threatened the victim via text message the previous day, stating he knew where he lived and had “nothing left to lose.”
Stowell faces up to 20 years in prison on the burglary charge and up to 10 years in prison on the assault charge if he is found guilty. His next court appearance is scheduled in March.
