A Burnsville man with a history of domestic abuse faces attempted murder and other felony assault charges for allegedly beating and repeatedly stabbing his live-in girlfriend with scissors, leaving her with life-threatening injuries.
Dakota County prosecutors say Terrell James Pleasant, 40, stabbed the 42-year-old victim at least 10 times with scissors in her side and neck in their home on May 6, leaving with her a collapsed lung and a neck wound that needed to be sutured. The victim was also punched in the face and choked during the attack. He is charged with attempted first and second-degree murder, along with multiple counts of assault.
According to charges, Burnsville police were called at 8 p.m. to the home, where they found the injured woman covered in blood and Pleasant missing. The woman's daughter told police she had called her mother's cellphone twice for a ride home from work and each time Pleasant answered, sounding rushed. When she got home she banged on the locked door, yelling for someone to let her in. A blood-soaked Pleasant answered the door, walked to his vehicle and left. The daughter then called 911.
The victim told police that she arrived home and Pleasant accused her of cheating before he attacked her with his fists and the 5-inch metal scissors, saying "You're gonna die," before stabbing her in the ribs and neck as she pleaded for her life. He only stopped, she said, when her daughter arrived home.
At about 1:50 a.m. police found Pleasant's vehicle parked about two miles away. A man who matched his description got out and began to walk away. Police arrested him, and as he was laying on the ground he allegedly said "I'm sorry for what I did."
Pleasant was convicted of fifth-degree assault in 2011 and 2017, as well as an attempted murder conviction in 2005. All were domestic-assault related convictions.
He is jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail, with his next court appearance scheduled for 1:30 p.m. May 31 in Hastings.
