Man Charged In Cloquet Home Invasion, Assault

CLOQUET, Minn. — A Cloquet man has been charged in a home invasion and assault from earlier this year.

Brendan Smith, 43, is accused of breaking into a house on Boulder Drive in Cloquet before strangling a woman inside while she was sleeping.

The victim’s husband confronted Smith before he took off.

Smith was never identified until recently after Cloquet detectives sent DNA from the scene to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Chares include first-degree burglary and third-degree assault.

Smith has past sex crime convictions.