Minneapolis man gets prison time for assault charge connected to stabbing of 12-year-old

A Minneapolis man who entered a Norgaard plea to an assault charge earlier this year for a 2023 stabbing that left a 12-year-old boy seriously injured will be spending time in prison.

Court records state Craig Allen Stevens, 51, was sentenced Monday by Judge William Koch to 110 months, or just over nine years, in the St. Cloud prison. Stevens was also given 374 days of credit for time already served. In addition, Stevens is banned for life from possessing firearms, ammunition and explosives.

As previously reported, prosecutors added a second-degree attempted murder charge at the time of his plea, which was dismissed during his sentencing on Monday. A Norgaard plea is entered when a defendant believes the evidence shows guilt but doesn’t remember committing the offense.

RELATED: Man charged in stabbing of 12-year-old in Minneapolis

The boy, who police said had injuries considered to be potentially life-threatening, was stabbed in the 3200 block Cedar Avenue South around 2:30 a.m. on May 6, 2023. Officers who were called to the scene were met by a woman who said Stevens had a knife and was in her locked apartment with her 9-year-old and 12-year-old sons.

According to the report, officers said they could hear children screaming inside the apartment.

After forcing entry into the apartment, officers reported finding Stevens holding the 12-year-old boy to himself and a knife to the boy’s neck. Officers tased Stevens, causing him to release the boy.

The boy then got away and was brought to Hennepin Healthcare (HCMC) to be treated for critical injuries. Although he was in stable condition at the time Stevens was charged, the complaint says the boy will have some permanent disfigurements from his injuries.

The child’s mother told investigators that she had been dating Stevens for two years and that he recently left treatment in April for using methamphetamine. According to the mother, Stevens stayed at the apartment after he left treatment but continued to use meth.

In the days leading up to the incident, the mother stated that Stevens had been holding knives and acting paranoid.

Law enforcement later confirmed the mother, as well as her 9-year-old son, were uninjured.