Pennington Co. Man Sentenced for Assaulting Mother
THIEF RIVER FALLS, PENNINGTON COUNTY (trfnews.i234.me) — A Thief River Falls man has been sentenced to prison following a conviction for felony domestic assault against his mother.
According to Pennington County District Court records, Benjamin Gerald Owen, 42, was sentenced on Wednesday, September 17, for felony domestic assault. A gross misdemeanor charge of interference with a 911 call was dismissed as part of the case.
For the felony conviction, Owen received a sentence of 24 months in prison, with credit for 47 days already served. The sentence will run concurrently with another case. He was also ordered to pay $210 in court fees and fines, as well as $2,121.73 in restitution.
The charges stemmed from an incident reported on March 10, when deputies responded to Sanford Medical Center ER. The victim, Owen’s mother, had bruising to her face and right arm. She told investigators the injuries were caused when Owen grabbed her, shoved her, and struck her over multiple days. She also reported he had recently moved back in with her and had resumed drug use.
Court documents describe incidents on March 5 and 6, including flicking her in the head, slapping her, and shoving her to the floor twice. Deputies later executed a search warrant at Owen’s residence. He initially refused to answer the door, but officers forced entry and arrested him.
The complaint noted Owen has two or more prior domestic violence-related offenses within the last 10 years. His latest conviction elevated the charge to a felony level under Minnesota law.
For more information on domestic assault statutes in Minnesota, visit the Minnesota Statutes on Domestic Assault.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
