Two Duluth men charged with felonies in stabbings over stolen charger

DULUTH — Two Duluth men who allegedly stabbed two strangers and assaulted another in their home have both been charged with more than a handful of felonies — an incident that seemingly started with a stolen cellphone charger.

Dustin Hawke St. Clair, 27, and Tristan Jade St. Clair, 23, were arrested at the scene on West Arrowhead Road in the city's Kenwood neighborhood after the car they were driving became stuck in a snowbank. They were charged with a list of crimes ranging from second-degree aiding and abetting attempted murder to first-degree aiding and abetting burglary earlier this week in St. Louis County District Court.

The men are accused of breaking into a single-family home that had been converted into apartments. Tristan St. Clair allegedly stabbed a man and a woman, and one of the assailants hit a third victim over the head with a coffee pot, all the while commanding, "Don't look at us," according to charges. Dustin St. Clair allegedly acted as a lookout.

The St. Clairs seemingly misidentified their target.

According to the criminal complaint, a relative of Dustin St. Clair accused her former boyfriend of stealing her phone charger when he moved out of her home. St. Clair contacted the ex-boyfriend via Facebook and allegedly sent a threatening photo of himself holding a semiautomatic pistol. The man called 911, and officers from the Duluth Police Department searched the area but did not find St. Clair at that time.

The man woke about 3:30 a.m. Jan. 6 to a commotion down the hall from the apartment where he was staying. The St. Clairs allegedly had kicked down the door and attacked the people inside, according to court documents. A woman was stabbed in the neck, chest and face, and a man was stabbed up to 20 times.

The St. Clairs tried to drive away from the scene, court filings say, but became stuck in a snowbank. Tristan St. Clair was arrested near the vehicle, and Dustin St. Clair, who fled on foot, was found nearby. It is unclear if the two men are related.

All of the victims, including the ex-boyfriend who had received the threats, identified the St. Clairs, documents say. A large hunting knife was found at the scene. The victims' statuses are unknown.

Tristan St. Clair and Dustin St. Clair are currently being held in the St. Louis County jail.