Charges: Man Stabs Bartender Who Cut Him Off
ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- A St. Paul man has been charged with stabbing a bartender after being cut off at Erick's Bar over the weekend.
According to the criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County, 43-year-old Fransisco Bonilla was at the bar the afternoon of Oct. 9 when he was denied drinks. He was told that he was drunk and didn't have identification.
The bartender grabbed Bonilla by the arm and led him to the exit, the charges state. Bonilla yelled "Don't touch me," and allegedly stabbed the bartender with a pen knife.
The bartender, who was not identified in the criminal complaint, said he felt a poke in his stomach, but didn't know he'd been stabbed until he saw blood on his shirt.
Bonilla was tackled by a number of bar patrons, who restrained him and removed a knife from his person.
After being arrested, Bonilla admitted to police that he had stabbed the bartender, but not "too deep." He said he lost control after drinking too much.
Police said Bonilla tried to apologize for the incident and insisted he would stop drinking.
He has been charged with second-degree assault, which carries with it a maximum penalty of up to seven years in prison and a $14,000 fine.
