A St. Paul man pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Minneapolis to breaking into a woman's home, assaulting her and burglarizing the home on the Red Lake Indian Reservation.
According to a U.S. Department of Justice news release, Robert Joseph Downwind, 37, pleaded guilty to first degree burglary, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
In his plea agreement, Downwind admitted that, at 2 a.m. on July 24, he entered the house by cutting the screen on an open window.
The release said while he was at the residence, the homeowner woke up and confronted Downwind. He pushed her to the ground and took her purse, which contained money and identification.
U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. Davis will sentence Downwind at a future hearing.
