A 36-year-old Duluth man is facing four felony charges after police say he broke into a locked apartment early Monday morning, struck a resident with a metal shovel, and threatened to break his arm. Nathan George Keuten now faces two counts of first-degree burglary, second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, and threats of violence stemming from the incident.
According to MN Crime, police responded to a burglary call at about 1:12 a.m. on September 21 after two residents who had locked their apartment's front door before going to sleep discovered Keuten and a woman inside without permission. Per the criminal complaint, Keuten threatened to kick one resident and to break his arm, then swung the metal shovel at him.
The shovel struck a shelf before hitting the resident's right leg, leaving a red mark and causing him to limp, the complaint states. That resident told investigators he feared for his life during the encounter. Keuten also allegedly struck the apartment's front door with the shovel hard enough to leave visible dents, and police later recovered the shovel outside the building. The complaint further alleges Keuten damaged property inside the apartment during the break-in.
Officers Witness Assault, Hear Threats Before Arrest
The situation escalated further once officers arrived. Police reported watching Keuten grab a woman and throw her to the ground while making verbal threats, and they said they heard him threaten to destroy property inside his own home. Officers then entered Keuten's residence after witnessing the assault and took him into custody.
During the investigation, the woman told police that Keuten had strangled her earlier the same day, according to the complaint, describing how he put his hand on her throat and pushed her to the ground, causing her pain. Officers documented a raspy voice and red marks on her neck consistent with her account. The woman also reported that Keuten assaulted her daily and said she feared him because of his recent methamphetamine use and ongoing threats, per the complaint.
Prior Felony Record Could Shape Sentencing
Court records cited by MN Crime show Keuten already has prior felony convictions for violating an order for protection and fourth-degree assault, which he received in February 2025. Separately, a Facebook post citing court records indicates Keuten was convicted in Duluth in 2021 of felony domestic assault and third-degree assault following a four-day domestic abuse incident, for which he received a 15-month jail sentence. Booking records reviewed by America's Top Mugshot also show Keuten was previously booked into the St. Louis County Jail on June 24, 2026, less than three months before this arrest.
Under Minnesota Statute § 609.582, first-degree burglary of an occupied dwelling is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $35,000, and it carries a statutory mandatory minimum of at least six months in jail or a county workhouse, according to the Minnesota Revisor's Office. Second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, charged under Minnesota Statute § 609.222, carries a maximum penalty of up to seven years in prison and a $14,000 fine. Minnesota law also defines an everyday tool like a metal shovel as a “dangerous weapon” if it is used in a manner calculated or likely to produce death or great bodily harm, according to Sieben Cotter Law.
Sentencing Guidelines and Additional Legal Exposure
The threats of violence charge, filed under Minnesota Statute § 609.713, is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine when made with intent to terrorize or in reckless disregard of causing terror, per Arneson & Geffen, PLLC. Domestic assault by strangulation, the allegation the woman described to police, is a separate felony under Minnesota Statute § 609.2247 carrying up to three years in prison and a $5,000 fine, according to the same firm.
Under Minnesota's structured sentencing guidelines, a conviction for first-degree burglary of an occupied dwelling can require presumptive commitment to state prison when the offender has prior felony convictions on record, per guidance from Minnesota's sentencing guidelines commission. Keuten has documented prior felony convictions.
Charges were filed in St. Louis County District Court on September 23, 2026. Felony complaints from Duluth police investigations are prosecuted by the St. Louis County Attorney's Office in Minnesota's Sixth Judicial District, which also operates courthouses on the Iron Range in Virginia and Hibbing, according to MN Crime. St. Louis County is Minnesota's largest county by land area, spanning more than 6,000 square miles from Duluth north to the Canadian border.
Similar Cases Recently Filed in Duluth
The case follows other recent Duluth prosecutions involving forced apartment entries and violent charges. Hoodline reported a window break-in that injured a toddler just days earlier, and last year covered a separate Duluth case in which a resident faced first-degree burglary, second-degree assault, and threats of violence charges after a fire alarm incident led to a break-in and assault. It remains unclear whether prosecutors will add or amend domestic assault by strangulation charges against Keuten based on the woman's statement and physical evidence, and the initial bail amount set by the Sixth Judicial District court has not been reported.
