JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – A man is in custody after he assaulted another man outside the Jamestown Walmart late Monday evening.
Jamestown Police report that at around 8:30 PM, they responded to the Jamestown Walmart parking lot to investigate a report of an aggravated assault that occurred with a knife.
“The 29 year-old male victim of the assault reported to police he was approached by an acquaintance as he exited out of Walmart,” Assistant Police Chief Justin Blinsky reports. “There was a brief exchange of words between the suspect and victim. The male suspect then grabbed the victim from behind, around his shoulders, brandished a knife, and inflicted non-life threatening injuries to the victim’s upper neck and chin area using the knife.”
The male suspect, identified as 54 year-old Roylan Laureta, left the parking lot in a vehicle. He was located in rural Logan County early Tuesday morning with the assistance of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office and Napoleon Police Department. He was arrested on suspicion of Aggravated Assault and is awaiting formal charges.
The wife of the man who was assaulted released the following statement on the incident.
“I want to first say that we do not know this man,” Sarah Smith states.
“His wife was an acquaintance. I was inside Walmart paying. Steven walked out to put our daughter in the car. As he walked out the door, Roy put him in a choke-hold and put the knife to his throat. Steven pushed the cart with our daughter in it away from harm. He grabbed his wrist and Roy dropped the knife, then Steven elbowed him in the side. Roy picked the knife back up and walked into Walmart, according to the cameras. Steven yelled for the Walmart employees to call 911 but they didn’t. Steven walked to our car and called police. He was bleeding from a cut across his neck. I walked out and all I heard was, “I got stabbed!” The cut isn’t very deep but it’s about an inch- inch and a half long under his chin. We want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. We are all okay, just a bit shaken.”
The Jamestown Police Department was assisted by the Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office, Logan County Sheriff’s Office, Napoleon Police Department, and the North Dakota Highway Patrol.