A Roseville woman is facing a felony assault charge after police say she bit a sleeping woman and then returned to the bedroom with two knives, slashing the victim across the forehead and chin. Moran Guan told officers afterward that she believed the victim was possessed and feared she would die if she did not attack her, according to a criminal complaint filed October 22.
Roseville police responded to a home at about 12:35 a.m. on October 22 after a report of an assault involving knives, according to a complaint detailed by MN Crime. The victim told officers she woke up to Guan biting her and said she fought off the attack. Guan then allegedly left the room, returned holding two knives, and cut the victim in the face, per the complaint.
Officers Found Her Still Holding a Knife
When officers arrived, they found a man wrestling with Guan on the floor; the man told officers Guan still had one knife in her grip. Officers arrested Guan and recovered a knife from her hand, the complaint states. The victim was found bleeding from a large laceration to her forehead and another to her chin, according to the same account.
In a post-Miranda interview, Guan told officers she believed the victim was possessed and said she thought she would die if she did not attack the victim, the complaint alleges. The station's report does not specify the relationship between Guan and the victim or how officers came to be called to the scene beyond the initial report of an assault with knives.
Charge Carries Up to a Decade Behind Bars
Guan now faces a charge of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon causing substantial bodily harm, according to the complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court. Under Minnesota Statutes, a person convicted of assaulting another with a dangerous weapon and inflicting substantial bodily harm can face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $20,000, or both.
The case page tracking the charge notes that the filing is sourced from a criminal complaint and that criminal charges are allegations, with defendants presumed innocent until proven guilty. The case does not yet include details on a plea, a court hearing, or whether Guan remains in custody.
Felony cases like this one are heard in the Second Judicial District at the Ramsey County Courthouse in downtown Saint Paul, with Ramsey County — which encompasses Saint Paul — served by the Ramsey County Attorney's Office. The Ramsey County Correctional Facility in Maplewood is operated by Ramsey County Community Corrections.
