Caregiver sentenced to 12 years for stabbing woman in Morris group home

A woman from Shoreview learned her future today after stabbing and threatening to kill a developmentally disabled woman in a group home.

Jessica Ruth Nazarian, 25, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in Shakopee. She has credit served of 126 days.

Nazarian was initially charged in February of 2022 with one count of second-degree attempted murder, one count of first-degree assault, and one count of second-degree assault with a weapon.

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Since then, she has taken a Norgaard plea.

According to court documents, she was convicted of first-degree assault and the other two charges were dismissed.

On Feb. 13, 2022, law enforcement from Morris and the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office arrived at a group home on a report of a stabbing in which the victim had been stabbed in the face, chest, and back.

A criminal complaint states that officers saw blood smeared on the glass door, a knife blade on the ground, a bloody towel, and copious amounts of blood on the floor.

Upon arriving, law enforcement said Nazarian was standing at the kitchen island with her chin resting on her hands and a “thousand-mile stare.” The victim, who officers noted had suffered a stab wound just below her neck on her back, in her lower stomach, and to her face, was standing behind Nazarian.

The complaint added that the victim’s shirt was “soaked” with blood with a visible hole near her abdomen and her hair was matted with blood. Officers handcuffed Nazarian — a personal caregiver at the group home — and began to provide medical aid to the victim.

Aside from needing stitches, the victim suffered two fractured vertebrae, which means she’ll need rehab and a hard brace. She may also be permanently scarred from the stab wounds, the complaint notes.

The next day, investigators learned that Nazarian had stopped the victim from going to bed the night of the incident and said “I’m going to kill you.” The victim ran downstairs as Nazarian grabbed a knife, the complaint says. Nazarian followed her into the bathroom and stabbed her multiple times in the face, as well as in the back and abdomen.

Nazarian was interviewed while in the mental health unit of the hospital. She told police that she’d tried to kill herself and that she’d stabbed the victim.