Man protecting his wife is beaten unconscious at MN State Fair, charges say
Sep. 9—Two St. Paul men have been charged in a Monday night assault at the State Fair that left a woman bruised and her husband unconscious.
Justin Theodore Morgan, 18, and Marquise Donta Brown, 21, were charged Wednesday in Ramsey County District Court with third-degree assault.
According to the criminal complaint, Ramsey County sheriff's deputies responded to a reported assault around 10:50 p.m. Monday at Carnes Avenue, near Sweet Martha's cookie stand. They found a large group surrounding an apparent fight and a 24-year-old man lying unconscious in the street.
A 22-year-old woman told the deputies the man was her husband. She said she had watched two women steal another man's wallet near the cookie stand and had followed them, telling the women to give the wallet back.
The two women then attacked the 22-year-old woman and her sister-in-law, the complaint states. When her husband intervened to protect them, Morgan and Brown jumped in and assaulted him, the complaint states.
The man was transported to the hospital with "significant" head injuries, the complaint states. Police tried to interview him at the hospital but he was confused and unable to identify his attackers.
Witnesses not involved in the altercation identified Morgan and Brown as the attackers, the complaint states. They said Morgan picked the husband up and slammed him onto the ground and that Brown kicked or stomped on his head, the complaint states.
Morgan and Brown told police they were trying to break up the fight and denied hurting the man.
Brown has two prior theft convictions on his record. Both will appear in court Thursday.
