Grand jury indicts Minneapolis man on kidnapping, sex assault charges

A Minneapolis man was indicted last week on charges of kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said 29-year-old Tyree Terrell Johnson was indicted on two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of kidnapping.

According to the criminal complaint, police responded to a reported sexual assault near the intersection of Glenwood Avenue and North Newton Avenue on June 24. There, officers spoke with a woman who was crying and had visible injuries, including a swollen eye and bleeding from her mouth. She was taken to a hospital.

She told police she was near her home when Johnson approached her, asking for a lighter. When she stopped to give him a lighter, Johnson punched her in the face and grabbed her by the neck, covering her mouth so she couldn’t scream, the complaint states.

She said Johnson then dragged her behind a nearby church while continuing to punch and choke her. He then sexually assaulted her, the complaint states. Eventually, she was able to escape and ran to where police found her.

A sexual assault examination was performed and DNA recovered matched the known profile of Johnson, who the attorney’s office said is a convicted predatory offender.

His bail is set at $2 million. A trial is set to begin on Oct. 12.