Crime & Safety

Police: Drunken Caretaker Accosted Wheelchair-Bound Woman in His Care

Onesmus Bogonko Daniel is accused of yelling profanities at the 64-year-old woman.

A live-in caretaker faces an assault charge after the wheelchair-bound woman he cares for accused him of drunkenly yelling at her and breaking two phones when she tried to call 911.

Officers went to the Meadow Creek Condos unit at 10:40 p.m. Thursday following a report of a possible domestic assault, Detective Raymond Laudenbach wrote in charging documents released Tuesday.

Andrea Lynn Benolkin, 64, answered the door while sitting in a wheelchair, and officers found 27-year-old Onesmus Bogonko Daniel hiding behind a wall.

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Benolkin told police that Daniel is her 24-hour primary care assistant and lives with her, according to the court documents. She said he came home drunk, playing music and singing as loudly as he could, before starting to “verbally accost” her.

Benolkin said she wrote down everything he said, putting a check mark next to the statements he repeated. The criminal complaint includes a tally of comments she accused him of making—including “I hate you,” accusations of racism and swear words.

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The woman told officers that she warned Daniel to quiet down or else neighbors would call police, according to the court documents. He then gave her the phone and told her to call police. But she said he took away the phone and threw it when she started to dial then did the same when she tried to call with another phone. She also accused him of breaking a small table.

Officers found two phones in pieces at the scene, as well as a broken table.

Prosecutors have charged Daniel with fifth-degree assault under the provision that forbids doing something intended “to cause fear of immediate bodily harm.” If he’s convicted of the misdemeanor, he could be sentenced to as many as 90 days in prison and fined up to $1,000.

He’s also been charged with interfering with an emergency call, a gross misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of one year in jail and a $3,000 fine.

He was released from Hennepin County jail Monday on $6,000 bond and will appear in court again Jan. 7.

 

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