Suspect says TV told him to kill two men at St. Paul sober house
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A man charged with the death of two people at a sober living home told police he was encouraged by his television to commit the crimes.
Joseph Sandoval, 32, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder for allegedly killing two men Thursday afternoon.
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It happened at about 4:30 p.m. on the 1100 block of Lawson Avenue East, in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood.
Both victims, one a handyman doing work at the property and the other a resident, appeared to die from multiple lacerations and stab wounds, police say.
According to the criminal complaint, officers stopped Sandoval as he was leaving the house and saw he had blood on his clothing and lacerations on his face and hands. He told officers he had ingested fentanyl.
Sandoval said he had just moved to the sober house and that "two big guys" whom he could not describe caused his injuries.
"The TV said they're going to kill me. When I was watching Dragon Ball Z," Sandoval told officers. "The TV said they were going to kill me and told me to take the opportunity."
During his evaluation at the hospital, Sandoval asked to be shackled and handcuffed to the bed, saying "because I don't know what I'll do."
Sandoval has multiple pending felony charges in Hennepin County, including assault in the fifth degree, assault in the second degree, theft, burglary in the first degree, and assault in the fourth degree.
He was conditionally released and found to be incompetent on June 1, 2021.
While being transported from the hospital to Ramsey County Jail, Sandoval allegedly told an officer, "I just wanted a quiet room."
This was the 30th and 31st homicide of the year in St. Paul.
