Probation For Near Fatal Stabbing in Owatonna

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Owatonna, MN (KROC-AM News ) - A woman accused of nearly killing her boyfriend in an attack last March will not have to serve any prison time.

A Steele County judge today sentenced 35-year-old Tierrah Wells to four years on probation for her conviction on a first-degree assault charge. The Waseca woman admitted to the charge in January through a plea agreement that led to the dismissal of an attempted murder charge.

She was accused of stabbing 42-year-old Charles Ellis in the chest two times with a kitchen knife during a domestic altercation at an apartment in Owatonna on March 30, 2021. The criminal complaint says Ellis stopped breathing after Owatonna police arrived at the scene and were administering first aid but they were able to revive him before he was transported to the hospital.

Court records indicate the couple's two young children, who were four and five years old at the time, were in the apartment when the violent incident occurred. The court documents also show Steele County prosecutors agreed to the probationary sentence as part of the plea deal after it was determined that Wells is amenable to probation. She did spend nearly 90 days in jail following her arrest.