Man arrested in connection to St. Cloud assault

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 20-year-old man was arrested in connection to an assault that left another young man seriously injured Sept. 18 in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

According to police, at about 1:41 a.m. Sept. 18, officers were dispatched to a fight on the 700 Block of 8th Street South.

When they arrived, officers were not initially able to locate any involved parties. They eventually found a 20-year-old man in a nearby home, suffering injuries to his head and face. He was transported to the hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

On Sept. 28, investigators arrested a 20-year-old Burnsville man in connection to the assault. He remains in Stearns County Jail where he will be held for court on charges related to felony assault. Both men involved were identified as students at St. Cloud State University.

The University issued a statement on social media Saturday, which reads: "SCSU is aware of an off-campus incident with a student athlete & student on 9/18. It is under investigation by the St. Cloud Police Dept. SCSU takes these incidents seriously. Safety is a top priority. The student athlete has been suspended from the team as SCSU investigates."

The parents of the alleged assault victim tell FOX 9 their son will have to take the rest of the semester off to move home and undergo facial and jaw surgery. They've started an online petition calling for an arrest in this case that's already garnered more than 3,000 signatures.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact the St. Cloud Police Department at 320-251-1200, or Tri-County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-255-1301, or at www.tricountycrimestoppers.org.