Albert Lea man appears on assault, DWI charges

(ABC 6 News) – An Albert Lea man appeared in Freeborn County Court on charges of 3rd-degree assault–substantial bodily harm; DWI; fleeing police; and giving a peace officer a false name Jan. 3.

Jacob John Griffin, 28, has been held at the Freeborn County Jail on $10K bail with conditions of $40K bail with no conditions since his arrest.

According to court documents, on Dec. 14, Albert Lea law enforcement spoke with a bloodied woman who said Griffin had assaulted her.

A witness allegedly told police that she had seen Griffin “kicking and stomping on (the victim’s) face” while the other woman dragged her by the hair.

The Griffin and the woman allegedly drove away from the scene before police arrived.

Court documents allege that when officers located the vehicle, Griffin appeared to be intoxicated, did not have a driver’s license on his person, and gave a false name and birthdate.

When one police officer asked another to retrieve a PBT, Griffin allegedly ran toward Sunset Street, but eventually slipped and fell.

He was taken into custody, where he allegedly blew a 0.19 percent blood alcohol concentration sample.

Police later spoke with the woman, who said the woman with Griffin had approached her outside her home, where she and the woman “mutually fought” until Griffin began punching her in the head, then kicking her.

According to court documents, Griffin plans to use self-defense and defense of another as arguments in court.

His trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 13.