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The Minnesota Daily

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The Minnesota Daily

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Sex offender frequents Williams Arena

Police arrested a man with a long criminal history Saturday for giving police a false name and trespassing.

.University police arrested a known sex offender Saturday night during a volleyball game at Williams Arena.

St. Paul resident Richard Stevens, 42, was arrested for giving police a false name and for trespassing during the game against Ohio State University.

The police report said Stevens was known to athletic department staff as a sexual offender.

University Deputy Police Chief Steve Johnson said police have encountered Stevens at sporting events several times in the past.

“We have issued him trespass warnings several times,” Johnson said. “He typically shows up at women’s athletic events, specifically gymnastics and volleyball.”

Stevens has an extensive criminal history and has been cited, arrested and imprisoned several times in several counties on a number of offenses.

In July 1998, he was arrested for criminal sexual conduct, assault, and kidnapping without bodily harm in Ramsey County.

He was convicted on the felony assault charge and was sentenced to 33 months in prison, according to Ramsey County records.

In July 2001 he was in court in Dakota County for felony harassment and stalking charges.

He was sentenced to 21 months in prison with five years of probation.

In November 2002 he was once again sentenced in Dakota County, this time for assault. He was sentenced to another year in prison.

Stevens was arrested by St. Paul police in 2006 on more harassment charges, but he wasn’t sentenced.

He was released from Hennepin County Jail Saturday after posting $50 bail and has a first appearance in District Court on Nov. 13.

Iowa City man robbed near West Bank Campus

An Iowa City man was robbed and assaulted with a dangerous weapon Oct. 24 just off the West Bank campus.

Kurtis Mathes, 30, was allegedly attacked and robbed outside Palmer’s Bar on Cedar Avenue South by Ali Omar, 21, of Minneapolis.

“I was (in Minneapolis) for the day visiting some friends,” Mathes said, “and then I was going to catch a train to go to Seattle.”

He checked his bags at the Amtrak station and went out to “kill” eight hours before his train left.

“I was walking around trying to find a cab to get back to my train and I got attacked,” he said.

Charles Shaw, 37, of Minneapolis, who witnessed the incident, said he was across the street when it occurred.

“The bouncers were dealing with (Omar), trying to get him away from the door to the bar before he left” Shaw said. “He came back with something in his hand.”

Minneapolis police Sgt. Jesse Garcia said Omar had a “spear-like improvised weapon.”

Mathes said his ear was cut and he had multiple scrapes on his arms and a bump on his forehead. His computer bag and wallet were both stolen, according to the report.

When Shaw crossed the street to break things up, Omar fled and Shaw called 911.

Shaw and bar security identified Omar as the assaulter and Mathes was treated at the Hennepin County Medical Center before taking a bus back to Iowa City.

Two other violent incidents have happened at Palmer’s Bar in the past few months.

In early June, a man was shot to death after an altercation in the bar.

In September, another Minneapolis man was arrested for assault with a dangerous weapon after being thrown out of the bar and hitting a security guard with a shovel.

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