A 52-year-old man is recovering today after he was allegedly assaulted in a room of a Rochester motel that was reportedly shut down by public health officials earlier this month.
The victim called law enforcement at 11:53 p.m. Monday, sending police and an ambulance to the Marion Road business where he'd gone for help.
He told officers he'd been in a room at Homestead Motel with a few other people when a man slapped a woman on the rear end, the report says. The 52-year-old stepped in to confront the man, who allegedly pulled out a knife.
The victim was able to disarm the man, said Capt. John Sherwin, but the suspect then picked up "a blunt object" and swung it at the victim, leaving him with "an obviously broken arm."
Police are working to identify the suspect, whom the victim knew only by his street name, Sherwin said.
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The 52-year-old was taken to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries.
The 11-unit motel had its license suspended Oct. 13 by Olmsted County Public Health officials after months of warnings and dialogue failed to correct a series of code violations, including a strong presence of feces.
According to Public Health, a list of the violations includes: "very minimal water flow in the bathroom and a shower was not functional for its intended purpose;" rooms with "accumulated filth;" moisture collecting on the electric panel; condensation on the walls and water accumulation on the floor, causing mold; windows with broken glass; cooking regularly occurring in rooms with extension cords, creating a "significant" fire hazard; and inoperable smoke detectors, among other things.
