Intruder Caught Pouring Gasoline in Rochester Home Pleads Guilty
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A man caught dousing the inside of a Rochester home with gasoline last fall has admitted to one of the seven felony charges filed against him.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Olmsted County Court, Rochester police responded to a report of a burglary in progress at a home in the 2400 block of 52nd Street Northwest on the afternoon of October 20. When they arrived, the responding officers found the homeowner restraining another man by pinning him to the ground outside the house.
The court document indicates the homeowner told the officers he had just arrived home when one of his children ran outside and informed him that a stranger had broken into the house. The man stated that he responded by running inside, where he found the intruder holding a gas can and dumping gasoline in the kitchen.
READ MORE: Charges: Rochester Man Tired to Trigger Explosion During Home Invasion
The homeowner then described how the man threatened to blow up the house before he threw a punch at the victim and turned on the stove. The criminal complaint says that led to a physical altercation between the two men inside the home.
The victim told police he managed to pin the other man on the couch, but the intruder grabbed him in the groin area before the family's dog bit him, which allowed the homeowner to gain control and drag his attacker outside, where he held him until the officers arrived.
The criminal complaint against 25-year-old Ian Ajal indicates that four children, ranging in age from 4 to 14 years old, were present at the time of the home invasion. It also indicates that, after Ajal was taken into custody, he was transported to a hospital to be treated for drug-induced psychosis and injuries from the dog bite.
ALSO SEE: Teen Suspects Charged in Rochester Carjacking Case
Ajal was charged with three counts of first-degree burglary, first-degree attempted arson, second-degree assault, felony terroristic threats and damage to property, a gross misdemeanor count of criminal sexual conduct, and a misdemeanor assault charge.
During a pre-trial hearing this week, Ajal entered into a plea agreement and admitted to one of the burglary charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September.
