ST PAUL, Minn. — The man accused of breaking into a St. Paul woman's home and sexually assaulting her back in April pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of criminal sexual conduct and burglary.
As part of his plea, Deonte Thomas, 34, will serve a consecutive sentence for both charges, totaling 241 months in prison, according to the Ramsey County Attorney's Office. He'll be formally sentenced on Sept. 3.
Squads were dispatched to a home on the 300 block of Snelling Ave. South just before 4:30 a.m. on April 15 and found a woman sitting on the front steps, visibly upset, according to court documents. She told officers she was sleeping in her bedroom when she heard pounding on the side of the house, and then saw a man — later identified as Thomas — break glass on the door and reach in to unlock and open it.
After asking what the intruder wanted, the victim says Thomas wanted to know where the money was at. The woman says she held out her purse, but he instead physically attacked her.
The victim told investigators that after struggling with her attacker in the bathroom floor and on a bed, he pulled a gun from his pants and sexually assaulted her.
DNA samples were obtained from the body of the victim during a sexual assault exam, while investigators obtained surveillance video from residents of the neighborhood. Investigators say one showed a suspicious truck parked in the alley with five of six license plate characters visible. A DVS data search traced the pickup to Thomas. A still shot from another video showed a man on the property that the victim identified as her attacker. The defendant's girlfriend also identified the man as Thomas.
Police say that after Thomas was arrested, he told detectives he was "frustrated" and "angry" over his life circumstances and randomly picked a home to break into. He allegedly admitted robbing and then sexually assaulting the homeowner but denied using a gun.
Thomas will remain in Ramsey County Jail until his formal sentencing.
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