New Brighton man at large after stabbing couple 15+ times while they slept: Charges

COON RAPIDS, Minn. (FOX (9) - A New Brighton man is accused of stabbing two people in their bed before fleeing the scene in a stolen vehicle.

New Brighton stabbing

What we know:

According to charges filed in Anoka County Court, officers with the Coon Rapids Police Department responded to a stabbing at a home near Ibis Street NW on Aug. 27.

Wesley Al McDaniel, 35, of New Brighton, is accused of stabbing two adults — a man and a woman — while they were in bed at a Coon Rapids residence. According to the complaint, one of the victims called 911 and told dispatch that both he and the woman had been stabbed by McDaniel.

When officers arrived, they found both victims in their bed covered in apparent blood. There were also large amounts of blood on the carpet and bed, along with blood spatter on a nearby dresser.

What they're saying:

The complaint states officers were able to briefly speak with the woman at the hospital. She told them that the man had picked up McDaniel from treatment roughly a week before the stabbing, and that McDaniel had been staying at their home. In the days leading up to the attack, McDaniel had been staying with friends in Minneapolis. The man brought McDaniel back to the residence on Aug. 26.

The woman said she woke up that night to the sound of the man screaming. She looked over and saw McDaniel stabbing him with a steak knife. As she woke up, McDaniel began stabbing her as well. McDaniel then fled the scene in her Chevy Equinox.

Victims' injuries, charges against McDaniel

The man had two severe lacerations on his neck, a significant injury to his eye and one laceration to his chest. At the hospital, medical personnel said he had more than 15 stab wounds and was in critical condition. He was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center for emergency surgery on his eye.

The woman had multiple stab wounds on her head and arms, with wounds that exposed portions of her skull. She also required emergency facial reconstruction surgery.

By the numbers:

McDaniel faces six felony charges in connection with the Aug. 27 attack. He faces two counts of attempted first-degree premeditated murder, two counts of first-degree assault causing great bodily harm and two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon causing substantial bodily harm.

The vehicle McDaniel allegedly fled in was found abandoned in Minneapolis later that same day. Officers were unable to locate McDaniel, and his whereabouts remain unknown.

What we don't know:

It is not known where McDaniel is at this time. It is also unclear what treatment facility he had been picked up from roughly a week before the attack.

The Source: This story is based on a criminal complaint filed in Anoka County Court.