An Eden Prairie man has been charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct following an incident at a church, according to a criminal complaint filed on Jan. 8 in Hennepin County District Court.
Ansel Regalado, 20, faces charges of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony, for allegedly using force in sexual contact, and fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct, a gross misdemeanor, for alleged nonconsensual sexual contact. The maximum penalties for these charges are 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine, and 364 days in jail and a $3,000 fine, respectively.
The incident reportedly occurred during a worship service at Eden Prairie Assembly of God church, 16591 Duck Lake Trail, on Nov. 15, 2023.
A 17-year-old girl and another person were standing near the back of the church. About 30 minutes into the service, which began at 6:30 p.m., Regalado allegedly reached forward into the row where the two were standing and slapped the girl’s buttocks three times. He then allegedly pulled her to the ground, attempting to remove her shirt and pants.
When another woman attempted to intervene, Regalado allegedly pulled down her shirt, exposing her breast. The woman sustained a red mark from Regalado grabbing her.
Regalado admitted to the actions in a statement to police, the criminal complaint states. Surveillance footage corroborates the victims’ and witnesses’ accounts.
Over a month before the incident at the church, on Oct. 9, 2023, Regalado was involved in another confrontation.
According to a criminal complaint filed later that month, Regalado brandished a large knife in the presence of a driver and an aide during a van trip from his Eden Prairie residence to an educational center. He demanded that the driver take him to the emergency room, threatening harm to the aide who was present to assist Regalado. The driver complied out of fear for their safety.
After arriving at M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, Regalado insisted on being driven to the Mall of America in Bloomington.
The driver agreed to take him to the mall but stated he needed to go to the hospital first. Both the driver and the aide then got out of the van, entered the hospital, and called 911. Edina police officers negotiated with Regalado, who was still inside the van, leading to his peaceful surrender and the seizure of the weapon.
Following this incident, Regalado was charged with two felony counts of making threats of violence with reckless disregard for risk.
According to the criminal complaint detailing the knife threat incident, Regalado has a history of being threatening toward others due to a brain injury.
A guardianship petition filed in Hennepin County District Court in May 2021 states that Regalado “has a brain lesion in his frontal lobe, which has caused swelling. The brain lesion affects executive functioning, preventing (Regalado) from acting as and developing into an adult.”
As of 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, Regalado is in custody at the Hennepin County Jail.
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