A 30-year-old man who broke into a random home in Inver Grove Heights and slit a woman’s throat and assaulted her teenage son in July has pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary and second-degree attempted murder.
Semaji Jamal Clemons, of Inver Grove Heights, entered the plea Friday before Dakota County District Judge Tracy Perzel, who ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set sentencing for June 15, when an assault charge will be dismissed, according to the county attorney’s office.
According to the criminal complaint, neither the woman nor her 13-year-old son had ever met Clemons before the attack.
The charges gave the following account:
Clemons broke into the home around 3 p.m. July 19 and immediately went into the boy’s room and told him it was “time to die.” He grabbed the boy from behind and took him into another room, where the boy’s mother was, and repeated “it’s time to die.” He punched her in the face.
When the boy tried to protect his mother, Clemons punched the boy in the head and face. The boy managed to escape and run to a neighbor, who called 911.
The boy then returned with a box cutter and tried to help his mother. Clemons took the box cutter away and as the boy tried to stop him, stabbed the woman in the back. He sat on the woman, told the boy to look away, and then cut her throat.
During the assault, Clemons told her several times that she was going to die, saying “be ready to die,” and “you’re going to die” and “you’re dying.”
Officers arrived shortly after and found blood all over the floor and heard the woman in a back bedroom crying for help. Clemons walked out of the back bedroom with blood all over his pants and shoes.
Officers found the woman covered in blood with puncture wounds to her back and a deep cut to her throat. She received 10 stitches to her throat.
“It is hard to comprehend this type of violent attack upon a mother and her 13-year-old son in their home by a complete stranger,” Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said in a Friday statement. “The son was a true hero as he ran for help and returned to protect his mother. We are extremely thankful that the victims have recovered from their physical injuries and we wish them the best as they deal with the continuing emotional trauma of this serious and violent crime.”