Charges: Man lead Mankato police on pursuit, stabbed girlfriend dozens of times

Several felony charges have been filed against a Blue Earth County man who allegedly led police on a chaotic pursuit throughout Mankato and stabbed his girlfriend upwards of 30 times.

Court records show Dustin Lee Murilla, 32, of Good Thunder, Minnesota, is charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, kidnapping, first-degree assault and fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle.

According to a criminal complaint, a witness told police that Murilla and his girlfriend were using methamphetamine and drove “crazy” after complaining his girlfriend put something in his pants that made him itch.

Another caller told dispatchers a white Lincoln Navigator was driving erratically, ignoring stop signs and traffic lights.

The girlfriend was in the car during this time, speaking to her cousin on the phone and reporting that Murilla “was paranoid and thinking everyone was after him” while driving through yards and assaulting her, the complaint states.

Police pursued Murilla’s vehicle on highways and neighborhood streets until he turned onto a dead-end road, at which point an officer used his squad car to hit and stop the vehicle, flipping it over, according to the complaint.

On Friday, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) identified the officer as Mankato Police Officer Courtney Walker, adding he has 12 years of law enforcement experience. In addition, the BCA says Walker’s body camera and squad car camera both captured parts of the incident, saying the video will be available to the public once the case is closed and adjudicated.

At one point during the chase, an officer reported seeing Murilla with what looked like a knife in his mouth. A weapon matching what the officer had described was recovered from Murilla’s vehicle at the crash scene.

Inside the car, officers found the girlfriend covered in blood. Documents state she collapsed as soon as she got out and was bleeding heavily. At the hospital, medical professionals estimated she had suffered 36 stab wounds; six were believed to be life-threatening, including a cut across her throat.

Murilla suffered minor injuries, as did the officer who hit the suspect’s vehicle with his squad car.

The victim remains in intensive care.

The BCA is investigating the case.