St. Paul police look for man charged with stabbing girlfriend as son watched

Damien T. Jones allegedly broke into his girlfriend's St. Paul house in March, kicked her in the ribs, stole some items and attacked her dog. Jones, 42, denied the allegations, and his girlfriend declined to cooperate with a police investigation.

The violence came to a head Tuesday, according to court documents, when he stabbed her several times as her 5-year-old son tried to intervene.

Police who responded to the woman's house in the 800 block of E. 6th St. about 2:21 a.m. Tuesday discovered a bloody scene and terrified child. "He killed my mommy!" the boy said, according to the charges.

"Police saw copious amounts of blood in the bathroom, master bedroom, hall and child's bedroom, all over walls, doors and floors," the complaint said. "Officers saw blood all over the 5-year-old's bed."

Jones fled after the attack and remains at large. He was charged Tuesday in Ramsey County District Court with first-degree attempted murder and second-degree attempted murder.

According to the complaint:

The boy was not hurt, but his mother was bleeding heavily from her neck, upper torso and large cuts on her arms.

Police took the shaking child to his grandmother's house. He tried to protect his mother during the attack, the complaint said, and had blood on his hands and shirt. The boy repeatedly told police that he thought Jones had killed his mother.

Another woman who had dated Jones told police that he called her and confessed to the attack and said he thought that he had killed his girlfriend, charges said.

Police reports show that on March 30 Jones showed up at his girlfriend's house, banged on her windows and pushed his way in when she cracked the door to ask him to leave. She said he attacked her as she curled up in the fetal position, kicked her Rottweiler dog when it came to her aid and took off with her cellphone, among other belongings.

Staff writer Nicole Norfleet contributed to this report.

Chao Xiong • 612-270-4708