Man charged with brutally murdering mother in St. Paul

A St. Paul man has been charged with murder in the brutal death of his mother in St. Paul earlier this week.

Christopher Aaron Olson, 38, is charged with one count of second-degree murder in the death of his mother, 61-year-old Sonja L. Olson.

St. Paul police were called to the area of Cook Avenue East, near Payne Avenue, at around 4 a.m. Wednesday on a report of a man who was out of control and assaulting his mother.

There, they found Sonja Olson unresponsive, and officers noted she’d been badly beaten and had extreme trauma to her head and face.

She was immediately pronounced dead at the scene by medics.

A criminal complaint states officers found Christopher Olson covered in blood and crouching over his mother in the entry area. He was arrested and reported to be off his bipolar medications.

The significant other of one of Christopher Olson’s brothers told police she lives on the main level of the home and heard Olson yelling at his mother upstairs. She then saw Christopher Olson grab his mother by the face, say, "[expletive], go to your room and go to sleep," and then push his mother. The woman said Christopher Olson then looked at her in a frightening way and she ran to the neighbors to ask them to call 911.

The complaint states Christopher Olson declined to participate in a custodial interview. He’s currently on probation for a 2017 drugs charge and also has prior misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor domestic assault convictions in 2007 and 2009, and a felony domestic assault conviction in 2013.

An autopsy report determined Sonja Olson died from exsanguination due to multiple stab wounds to her face and multiple blunt force injuries from physical assault.

Christopher Olson’s preliminary bond was set at $1.5 million. His first court appearance was set for Friday.