MANKATO – A man currently in prison for domestic assault has been charged this week with the violent, Valentine’s Day sexual assault of a Mankato woman in front of her 10-year-old son. 40-year-old Thomas Zuehlke was charged Thursday with First Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct, Kidnapping and First Degree Burglary.
The victim reported the incident to Mankato police on February 24.
During her police interview, the victim say she was at home with her son when two friends, Bryon Hansen and Robert Zuehlke came over. With them was a man she didn't know, Zuehlke's brother Thomas.
The victim says Thomas Zuehlke proceeded to flirt with her. Saying she got "creeped out" by some text messages Zuehlke started sending her.
At that point she told her friends to get Zuhlke to leave.
The trio left, but Zuehlke returned a short time later. Hearing a knock on the door, the victim answered and Zuehlke pushed his way in.
The victim told police he made advances towards her. "Groping and kissing", he pushed the woman against a wall. She says he threatend to go down the hall and have sex with her son if she didn't cooperate.
The woman was able to get to her son and both of them fled to the bathroom where she tried to place a phone call for help to her friend Hansen. But before she could talk to him, Zuehlke pulled her from the bathroom and forced her to the floor, climbing on top and pinning her to the floor.
Little did the woman know at the time, but Hansen could hear what was going on over the phone. He later described to police hearing the woman say "help...please get here." He could also hear the boy in the backgroud screaming "get off my mom."
Saying he was only a block away, he ran to the home, but the door was locked. The boy unlocked the door and Hansen says he entered and pulled Zuehlke off the woman.
The victim manage to dial one of the other men when Zuehlke attacked her. The man got there in time to pull Zuehlke off her.