Baseball bat attack in St. Paul started with Facebook feud, charges say

A St. Paul woman attacked another woman she had never met before with a baseball bat and slammed the victim's head into the street because of a Facebook feud, according to charges filed Friday in Ramsey County District Court.

Bridget L. Olson, 31, struck the other woman in the face and head about 10 times with a baseball bat, according to the complaint. Olson is charged with one count of second-degree assault for the Sept. 4 incident that occurred at White Bear and Ivy Avenues in St. Paul.

"Olson said the bat was in her van, and officers later recovered a small, wooden baseball bat that had blood stains on it," the complaint said. "At one point, Olson admitted she used both hands to slam [the woman's] head on the street in order to get [the woman] to stop fighting."

According to the complaint: Olson and the other woman got into an argument on Facebook, and the woman suggested to Olson that they meet to resolve the problem. Olson suggested their meeting location. The two women had never met before the Sept. 4 assault.

The complaint does not indicate the nature of the Facebook feud.

The woman drove to the location and saw Olson in the street allegedly holding a small baseball bat. The woman remained in her vehicle and implored Olson to put away the bat so "they could handle this like women," the complaint said.

Instead, authorities allege that Olson reached into the woman's car and struck her in the face and head with the bat four to five times. She then allegedly pulled the woman out of the car.

"Olson straddled [the woman] and punched her in the face, and after a minute or so, Olson got up and ran towards her baseball bat," the complaint said. "Olson got the bat and struck [the woman] 4-5 times in the head and face as she lay on her back on the street."

Olson eventually fled in her minivan, tailed by the woman, the complaint said. The woman could not reach her cell phone, so she followed Olson and in an attempt to stop Olson, tapped the back of Olson's van with her car.

"I'm calling the police!" Olson screamed at the woman, according to the complaint.

Olson told the 911 operator that the woman came after her, tried to assault her and was pursuing her, the complaint said.

The woman continued to follow Olson until both stopped at the sight of a police squad. The officer noticed that the woman was "bleeding heavily," her face covered in blood, according to the complaint.

Olson allegedly told the officer that the two fought over a Facebook feud, and allegedly admitted to hitting the woman several times in the head with a mini baseball bat in self-defense.