WORTHINGTON – A Worthington man has been charged with a felony count of domestic assault by strangulation and misdemeanor counts of domestic assault resulting in bodily harm and theft.
On Jan. 5, Worthington police responded to a local residence for a report of theft. The victim stated an ex-boyfriend, Isaac Funes, 24, was sitting in the front passenger seat of her vehicle when she came out of Walmart.
According to the report, the victim had ended a relationship with Funes several months earlier and had a protection order against him. The victim stated she had dropped the protection order recently because Funes said he couldn’t move away and find a new residence with the protection order on his record.
Funes asked the victim to drive him to his residence because he didn’t have enough gas in his car. As the victim exited the parking lot with Funes, she told officers she observed his vehicle on the east side of the Walmart parking lot.
The victim drove Cables to his residence, and upon arrival, he exited the vehicle after grabbing the victim’s laptop from the backseat and taking it with him. The victim followed Funes to the house in an attempt to retrieve her laptop.
According to the report, Funes held the door shut, before pulling the victim into the house. Multiple verbal and physical altercations followed.
The victim stated she attempted to leave with her laptop, but Funes slammed her into the wall. Funes reportedly pushed the victim to the floor, elbowed her in the face, and put her in a chokehold. The victim reported she could not breathe and thought she was going to die.
She left the house without the laptop, before contacting the police. The victim provided a receipt for the laptop, valued at $199.
Abrasions and bruising on the victim’s forehead, face and arms were observed by officers.
Officers attempted to arrest Funes at his residence, but he would not open the door, according to the complaint. An officer observed Funes turning off the lights in the residence.
After a search warrant was obtained — and due to Funes’ past possession of a firearm — the Worthington Emergency Response Unit was activated. Ropes had reportedly barricaded the front door so officers were initially unable to enter. Officers used force to enter the residence and located Funes. He was arrested and transported to the Nobles County Jail.
In a statement, Funes reportedly told officers the victim was fabricating all allegations. He denied being at Walmart and said he hadn’t answered the door at the officers’ request because he was sleeping. The ropes claimed to have also been injured, but no injuries were observed.
Following the arrest, an officer drove to Walmart and reportedly observed Funes’ truck in the parking lot there, as the victim described.
Funes’ bail was set at $40,000 with conditions, and he is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Jan. 19.
If convicted, Funes faces a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment and/or a $5,000 fine for the felony domestic assault charge. Both misdemeanor charges carry a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
Note: This article was written based on information reported by local law enforcement agencies. The Globe reminds readers that all individuals are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Southwest Crisis Center is available in our community to support and empower survivors of sexual and domestic violence. For questions about services or how you can help, contact the Southwest Crisis Center at 1-800-376-4311 or
mnswcc.org
.