Suspect arrested after suspicious death, sexual assault in St. Paul

St. Paul Police Department spokesman Steve Linders
St. Paul Police Department spokesperson Steve Linders briefs media Monday evening on a suspicious death and sexual assault investigation.
Peter Cox | MPR News

Police say they have a suspect in custody in connection with a suspicious death and sexual assault investigation in east St. Paul.

Officers were called to the 1500 block of Jessamine Lane just before 7 a.m. on a report of an adult woman found dead. While at the townhome, they also found a teenage girl who had been sexually assaulted. Police took the teenager to the hospital for treatment and to be interviewed.

Police found and arrested a 33-year-old East St. Louis, Ill., man, a suspect in both cases, police spokesperson Steve Linders said. The man is being held on suspicion of kidnapping and sexual assault.

"They found him downtown, I don't know the exact address, but he was arrested without incident," Linders said. "There's a lot of work that goes into these and I can tell you that the investigators and the officers on scene were personally affected by this so there was a sigh of relief when he was found."

The man was known to both of the victims, police said.

Linders said the death is being investigated as a homicide, but the Ramsey County Medical Examiner has not yet determined the cause and manner of death, which could take several days.