18-year-old Charged After Allegedly Assaulting a Teen and a Staff Member at St. Cloud Hospital

(KNSI) — A Minneapolis man is being held on $20,000 bail in the Stearns County jail after allegedly assaulting a 14-year-old patient and a staff member at the St. Cloud Hospital.

Police responded to the hospital’s emergency room behavioral health unit about 12:15 Wednesday afternoon. They say they saw 18-year-old Matthew Colombo surrounded by hospital staff who told officers Colombo had assaulted the teen and punched a female worker in the chin and on the arm.

According to the criminal complaint, the teenager told police Colombo came into his room and threw him up against the wall. He said Colombo picked him up and repeatedly slammed his head into the floor, saying, “I’m gonna kill you.” The teen said he had a bump on his head from the incident.

An ER nurse told investigators she heard another nurse yelling in a frantic voice, causing her to walk into the hallway where she said she saw Colombo in a boxing stance with his hands balled up into fists. She said he talked about killing someone and “finishing the job.” When she and other hospital staff members went to remove Colombo from the teen’s room, she told investigators he started swinging at them, punching her in the chin and on the arm.

Columbo has been charged with felony threats of violence, fourth-degree assault of hospital emergency personnel, and fifth-degree assault inflicting or attempting to inflict bodily harm for threatening the teen.

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