St. Paul woman accused of stabbing neighbor in head with 7-inch knife

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 39-year-old St. Paul woman is accused of stabbing her neighbor at an apartment with a seven-inch knife, according to charges filed Monday in Ramsey County Court.

Alma Brenda Penaloza Ruiz was charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with the incident.

What happened

The backstory:

According to the charges, St. Paul police were called at about 3:52 p.m. on April 26 to an apartment building on Barclay Street on a report that a resident had been stabbed by her neighbor with a knife. The suspect, later identified as Ruiz, fled the scene.

The complaint states that after following a blood trail, they found the victim standing in the doorway with blood coming down her face from a stab wound on top of her head. She was crying while trying to contain the bleed with a towel.

The complaint states the victim told police she didn’t know the suspect’s name, but knew she lived in a neighboring apartment. The victim encountered Ruiz on the sidewalk outside, and Ruiz followed her through the front entrance of the apartment. Ruiz told the victim she was going to call the cops on her for breaking into her apartment, and the victim asked her what she was talking about.

The complaint states Ruiz told the victim, "Look what I have," pulled out a large kitchen knife and started stabbing the victim in the head, left shoulder and armpit. The victim was taken to Regions Hospital.

Suspect arrested

What they're saying:

The complaint states officers located Ruiz about a half mile from the scene and took her into custody. Ruiz told officers the Army told her she had the right to carry knives. She also told police she had a cut on her hand and was stabbed in the buttocks. Officers told her repeatedly to put her purse down, and they found a box cutter and seven-inch stainless steel knife inside. Ruiz then made a series of odd and illogical statements to investigators.

The complaint states Ruiz was on conditional release for a March 18 incident at the same apartment where she was chasing people in a hallway with a hammer.

Timeline:

If convicted, Ruiz faces up to seven years in jail and/or $14,000 in fines.