An Eagan, Minn., teenage boy started by peeping into teen girls' windows. But his behavior soon escalated to going into their houses and assaulting one of the girls, prosecutors say.
William Donald Maloney, 17, now faces more felonies in the alleged crime.
Dakota County prosecutors this week heightened the charges against Maloney to eight felonies, including new allegations of stalking and first-degree attempted burglary, said Assistant Dakota County Attorney Scott Hersey. Maloney is charged as a juvenile.
However, prosecutors are asking that he be tried as an adult.
"We did feel that elevating some of these charges to a felony was appropriate to deal with what we felt was the dangerousness of the pattern of behavior," Hersey said. "We are obviously taking this case very seriously, and we feel the charges reflect it."
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Maloney is accused of breaking into three Eagan girls' homes from June 2010 to this month, stealing some of their underwear and assaulting one girl.
Maloney initially faced four felony burglary counts and three gross misdemeanors of interference with privacy. In Thursday's amended complaint, Maloney was charged with multiple counts of first- and second-degree burglary, attempted burglary, a pattern of harassing and stalking conduct, and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.
A family reported the first home burglary June 20, 2010, the criminal complaint said. A month later, the family reported seeing a male peeping into their windows, including into their teenage daughter's bedroom.
Similar incidents continued this fall, police said.
On Sept. 18, a homeowner reported seeing a male dressed in black and wearing a ski mask between his house and a neighbor's, the complaint said. The suspect fled when the outside lights turned on. Minutes later, another family reported hearing noises at their house.
A teenage girl in that family said she heard the garage door open and the service-door handle jiggle, the charges say. The family's window screens also were cut.
On Oct. 8, a third family reported a burglary after the mother saw a flashlight outside at 1:30 a.m. and awoke later to her daughter screaming from her bedroom, the complaint said. The parents saw the intruder, wearing dark clothing, running out the front door.
The girl, 17, told police she was sleeping when she felt her blankets being pulled off of her, the charges say. A male was standing over her. When she screamed, the male put his hand over her mouth and neck. The girl said she scratched his neck, and he left.
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The suspect was wearing a light on a headband across his forehead, the charges say.
The family told police some of their window screens had been cut during the summer, including one in their daughter's bedroom, according to the charges.
The girl said she had earlier seen a male looking in her window. She believed he was wearing the same lighted headband, the complaint said. She also noticed her underwear drawer open after the initial incident. She didn't think any of her underwear was missing.
When police asked who would have assaulted her earlier this month, the girl suggested Maloney, according to the charges. She knew Maloney from high school and a youth group.
Maloney's mother said her son owns a headband light, the charges say. She also said he had marks on his neck. Police noticed four distinct marks when interviewing him.
Maloney told police he "did something stupid," the complaint said. Maloney admitted going into the girl's house, which was unlocked, and into her bedroom.
He said he'd been in the house before. Maloney said he put his hand over the girl's mouth to stop her from screaming, the charges say. He also admitted stealing some of her underwear.
He told police he was "sexually attracted" to the girl and "was afraid he might do something that was not characteristic of him," the complaint said. Police found a knife and shoelaces in the pants he wore during the break-in. At his home, five pairs of women's underwear were found under his pillow. A headband light and a stocking cap with holes cut in it also were found.
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Maloney admitted peeping into the other families' windows, breaking into one of the other girl's houses and taking her underwear, too, the complaint said.
His next court date is scheduled for Tuesday.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
