A 45-year-old Minneapolis man is facing attempted murder and assault charges after a woman told investigators he held her hostage for about 10 hours inside an apartment, beat her until she repeatedly lost consciousness, and blocked her from completing a call to 911 as her infant lay nearby. Karod Dupree Ross then boarded a flight the morning charges were filed, and his whereabouts were unknown, according to the criminal complaint against him.
Ross faces charges of second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault causing great bodily harm, and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, according to MN Crime. The complaint was filed October 22 in Hennepin County District Court, the outlet reports, days after Minneapolis police were dispatched to a 4th Avenue North address on October 18 following a report that a child's father was holding a gun to the child's head and threatening to leave with the firearm.
Hours of Violence, Then a Blocked Call for Help
According to the complaint, the victim said she was held hostage for about 10 hours by Ross, who she described pulling her hair, pushing her to the ground, stomping on her, pistol-whipping her, and strangling her until she lost consciousness multiple times. She reported that Ross had a gun before the assault and used it to hit her, and that he also used a knife to threaten her and keep her inside the apartment.
The woman said she tried to call 911 at about 3:06 a.m. on October 18, but Ross prevented her from making the call and from answering two callbacks from 911 at 3:07 and 3:08 a.m., per the same account. The complaint also alleges Ross told her, “I'm gonna kill you and your baby.”
Infant Thrown During the Assault, Officers Say
The victim said Ross threw her onto her infant at one point during the assault. Officers who responded observed red marks on the baby's forehead and photographed the injuries, the report notes. At the scene, officers also found multiple areas of blood in the bedroom where the victim said most of the assault took place, along with a knife whose tip had been broken off and separated.
The woman was transported to HCMC, where she was found to have a skull fracture, a fractured nose, popped blood vessels in her eyes, cuts on her lips, and bruising on her neck and arms, according to the complaint detailed in the station's report. Ross was absent from the scene when officers arrived.
Suspect Boards a Flight as Charges Are Filed
Police learned Ross boarded a flight the morning of October 22, the same day the complaint was filed, and that his whereabouts were unknown, per the same account. The case will fall under Hennepin County, Minnesota's most populous jurisdiction, where the county attorney's office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 44 other cities. Felony arraignments and trials in the county are overseen by the Fourth Judicial District at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
Under Minnesota law, assault with a dangerous weapon that inflicts substantial bodily harm carries a potential sentence of up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000, according to the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes. Assault causing great bodily harm, the more serious charge Ross faces, carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $30,000, per the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.
