Hibbing man who left infant to die in 2017 fire charged with attacking couple

DULUTH - A Hibbing man who was found guilty of manslaughter four years ago in the death of his baby nephew has been charged with assaulting a couple that confronted him about urinating on their property last week.

Jesse Lee Bonacci-Koski, 29, was charged in St. Louis County District Court on Wednesday with felony-level third-degree assault in addition to fifth-degree assault, a misdemeanor. The alleged assault occurred at the couple's home in New Independence Township, northwest of Hermantown.

Bonacci-Koski's bail is listed at $100,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 4.

According to the complaint:

The couple, who were in a golf cart, saw Bonacci-Koski urinating on their driveway and asked him to stop. He reportedly took off his shirt, walked toward them and hit the man in the head and the woman in the shoulder. He wrestled with the man, who had fallen into a ditch, and bit him twice.

The couple were able to get away on the golf cart. Bonacci-Koski, described as having a "dead stare" during the attack, took off into the woods and was later found by K-9s.

The man's injuries include a fractured nose and bite marks, and the woman had a concussion and strained neck muscles.

One of the police officers at the scene testified that Bonacci-Koski had looked fidgety and bug-eyed, seemingly under the influence of methamphetamine. He said that Bonacci-Koski told him he had been awake for days and that when he saw the fire trucks at his brother's home, he fled the scene.