Man Accused Of Attacking MSOP Counselor Charged With Attempted Murder

MOOSE LAKE, Minn. – Attempted murder and assault charges have been filed against a man accused of attacking a staff member Monday at the Moose Lake Sex Offender Program.

Nicolas Ladell Aron-Jones, 29, has been committed at MSOP as a “sexually dangerous person” since 2015, according to the criminal complaint.

Court documents say a 53-year-old male security counselor entered a unit to perform routine checks when Aron-Jones struck the victim over the back of the head with a fan motor inside a pillowcase.

The counselor fell to the ground, which is when Aron-Jones struck him eight times in the head and body before kicking and stomping on the counselor’s head another eight times, according to the complaint.

Aron-Jones was pushed away by other staff members and sprayed with a chemical irritant, according to officials, before he “retreated to his room and closed the door.”

According to the complaint, Aron-Jones was heard in his room saying, “… I was going to kill that mother f**ker.”  And when he was transported to another area of the facility, Aron-Jones told another man committed at MSOP, “I bust that mother f**kers face . . .bust his head open with the motor of my fan and stomped on his mother f**king face.”

The victim, who has not been identified, was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries, including “a laceration to the right eye area and a traumatic sub arachnoid hematoma.”

The second-degree murder charge comes with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.   Aron-Jones also faces three assault charges, including first-degree assault, which also comes with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

On Monday, MSOP Executive Director Nancy Johnston released the following statement:

“We are deeply disturbed by such a brutal, senseless attack. I’m grateful to those who tried to intervene and protect our coworker. Our hearts are with him and his family, and we’ll be there to support him as he recovers.”