Rosemount teen pleads guilty to role in Vietnam veteran's death
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A teen pleaded guilty on Wednesday to his role in the death of a Vietnam veteran who he had assaulted at a St. Paul park earlier this year.
The 18-year-old from Rosemount was charged with first-degree manslaughter in juvenile court, as the incident occurred when he was still 17.
Court documents say that on Jan. 23, 76-year-old Thomas Dunne took out his phone to take a picture of a male he observed urinating in a pond at Harriet Island Park. That's when two boys got out of a car and the three approached him. They attempted to take Dunne's phone and one of them punched him in the face.
Police say when officers arrived, they observed Dunne bleeding from his right eye socket.
Officers were able to locate the group and asked if they had been involved in a fight. One boy told police, "Yeah, that was me," charges say. All three were detained.
One of the teens allegedly told police they believed Dunne was recording them and should have "minded his business."
Dunne had to have emergency ocular surgery at Regions Hospital due to his injuries. He also sustained multiple facial fractures and traumatic damage to his right eye, according to hospital records.
A few days after being discharged, Dunne was readmitted to the hospital due to complications from his injuries. He had contracted an infection and ultimately had to be placed on a ventilator. He died on Feb. 23 — exactly a month after the assault.
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner determined Dunne's cause of death to be "probable complications of assault" and ruled the manner of death a homicide.
A disposition hearing for the teen convicted of Dunne's death is scheduled for June 18.
WCCO does not typically name juvenile suspects unless they are certified as an adult.