Six Felony Charges Follow Felon's Alleged Attack on South St. Paul Family

A 40-year-old South St. Paul man was arrested on July 7 after police say he beat up his pregnant girlfriend, her son and her mother in a drunken rage. 

Following the alleged attack, Toby Terrell Rogers was charged with three counts of felony domestic assault; two counts of third-degree assault; and a count of domestic assault by strangulation. 

According to a Dakota County criminal complaint, Rogers started drinking alcohol after helping the family move into a residence in the 400 block of Camber Ave.

The complaint states he was asked to leave the home after becoming angry because his girlfriend was speaking to a man on the phone.

Once asked to leave, Rogers allegedly became enraged and punched his pregnant girlfriend repeatedly in the head until she fell to the floor.

The complaint states the woman's mother then stepped in to protect her when Rogers redirected his attack her and started "punching her violently."  

With mother and grandmother lying on the floor bleeding, the girlfriend's juvenile son tried to tackle Rogers but was subdued. 

Rogers allegedly grabbed the boy by the neck and started choking him to the point of being "almost unconscious."  

In an effort to protect her son, Rogers' girlfriend grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed him in the arm. He was later given three stitches to close the wound. 

Rogers' girlfriend and her mother were both hospitalized and treated for facial fractures.

The complaint did not state any lasting physical damage to the boy.

Rogers is scheduled to appear for an omnibus hearing in Dakota County Court on July 31.

Five of the six counts against Rogers carry with them a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The lesser charge—domestic assault by strangulation—is punishable by up to three years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Factors that could influence Rogers' sentence, if he is convicted, include a 2005 conviction for fifth-degree domestic assault and a 2012 conviction for violation of a domestic abuse no-contact order.