Farmington felon is charged with girl's rape

A Farmington man who has been in trouble most of his adult life was back in court Thursday, charged with raping a 14-year-old girl and knifing two adults.

Randall J. Thole, 50, is charged with using force to rape the teen, whom he was supposed to be supervising, late on Aug. 6.

Police were called the next day after the girl went to Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville for a sex-assault examination.

According to a criminal complaint: After Thole raped the girl, he went to the Lakeville apartment of a woman who had a restraining order against him. He was punching that woman when a bystander intervened and also became a victim.

Thole is charged with five counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of second-degree assault. All are felonies.

According to the complaint, on the evening of Aug. 6, Thole and the girl were drinking alcohol in his Farmington bedroom. Thole allegedly performed various sex acts on the girl, pinning her arms to rape her.

Shortly after, at 1 a.m. Aug. 7, Lakeville police were called to an apartment building about assaults with a weapon.

The bystander told police he saw Thole punching a woman while threatening to kill her. The bystander punched and pushed Thole, who punched back and left.

As the victims tried to get through an inner security door using her keys, Thole returned with a hunting knife. He swung it toward the bystander, who jumped out of the way.

As Thole struck at the woman's gut with the knife, the bystander jumped on him and wrested away the knife.

Both victims had knife wounds; the woman was hospitalized in serious condition with an abdominal wound and blood loss.

Thursday, a judge set bail at $250,000, and Thole remained in the Dakota County jail.