WOODBURY, Minn. — A 38-year-old man was arrested and charged with two counts of threats of violence after a text exchange with his ex-girlfriend led her to contact the police on Dec. 27.
Andrew Grzywinski allegedly texted his ex-girlfriend a picture of an assault-style firearm on a window ledge along with a message that read “Maplewood mall is my idea and Mayor of St. Paul is end goal,” according to charging documents filed with Ramsey County.
The ex-girlfriend then contacted the Woodbury Police Department as she knew Grzywinski was staying at the Sheraton in its jurisdiction.
The Woodbury PD then contacted the St. Paul Police Department to inform them of the threats made against St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, according to court documents. The Woodbury PD also informed the Maplewood Police Department of the threats against the mall.
The SPPD sent a security detail to Mayor Carter’s home and the Maplewood PD responded by sending a six-squad detail to the Maplewood Mall, which closed early at 6:15 p.m. instead of 8 p.m., the complaint said.
A Woodbury investigator learned Grzywinksi had recently been hospitalized on a mental health hold, and the doctor who treated Grzywinksi "told police that the defendant’s threats should be taken seriously,” according to the criminal complaint.
Grzywinksi was arrested at the Sheraton hotel and a search warrant was executed in his room, where officers found a Mossberg International 715P .22 caliber long rifle, the weapon seen in the text he sent to his ex-girlfriend, its black case and ammunition, the documents said.
According to the criminal complaint, Grzywinksi ripped a camera from the wall after he was brought into the police headquarters for an interview. When asked what he was doing, Grzywinksi told officers he wanted a lawyer and was then taken to jail.
When told he was being booked for making threats of violence against the Mayor of St. Paul, Grzywinksi said “I never said I was gonna kill the mayor— I said I want to run for mayor,” according to the charging documents.
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