St. Louis Park Man Accused of Strangling Woman

A St. Louis Park man has been accused of strangling a woman last month in an incident in which police say he knocked over an 18-month-old child.

John-Edgar Makonn Bayiha, 31, is charged with felony domestic assault by strangulation, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $5,000 fine. He is also charged with misdemeanor domestic assault, which has a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, compiled by St. Louis Park Police Officer Aaron Balvin, police were called to a hospital on March 24 after the victim’s sister-in-law called to report a domestic assault.

The sister-in-law reported that the woman was beaten by Bayiha and that Bayiha “isolates” the victim, who was afraid she would be killed if she went to the police.

The victim said she and Bayiha began arguing on March 18 after he accused her of infidelity. She said Bayiha took her cell phone away, pushed her to the floor, knelt on her and began strangling her until she was unable to breathe.

During the incident, the woman’s 18-month-old daughter approached Bayiha, and he pushed her away, knocking her into a cabinet, according to Balvin’s account.

Bayiha grabbed the victim again and began strangling her a second time, according to the complaint. She began to struggle, and Bayiha pushed her into a bedroom, where she began to yell for help, she said.

According to the victim, Bayiha told her that if she called the police and he spent “even one minute” in jail, she had better disappear because he would “go back to prison for what he would do to her,” according to the complaint.

Bayiha is free on a $10,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 12 in Hennepin County District Court.