Friends, family and neighbors are raising money to help a St. Paul man who was stabbed by a man who neighbors said was disruptive and “terrorized” them.
A criminal complaint alleges that 37-year-old Thomas Christian Welle stabbed his neighbor Pete Moroz, 56, multiple times during a September 5 assault at a condominium in the 500 block of Jackson Street in St. Paul.
Welle has been charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree burglary and assault and first degree assault with great bodily harm. Court records show he has a history of civil commitments for mental health.
According to the GoFundMe account, during the attack, Moroz was stabbed numerous times, suffering a collapsed lung, damaged liver, severely damaged left arm, orbital fracture to his left eye and has undergone multiple surgeries. He is at risk of losing his eyesight in his left eye, fundraiser organizers said.
More than $9,000 had been raised as of Sunday to help with his medical costs through a GoFundMe account.
The criminal complaint gives the following details about the assault:
Shortly before 6:30 p.m. on September 5, Welle knocked on Moroz’s door, saying he had a delivery for him. When he opened the door, Moroz said that Welle allegedly began to stab him, saying, “You are going to die.”
A neighbor heard Moroz shouting and went to the apartment. When she opened the door, she saw Welle allegedly standing over Moroz, stabbing him.
She screamed, “Get off him! What are you doing? Get off him!”
“He’s stabbing me — call 911!!” Moroz yelled.
The neighbor ran back to her place and called 911.
When officers arrived, they found Moroz outside on the sidewalk, covered in blood. Moroz told police that his neighbor had stabbed him “all over” and asked officers to tell his daughters that he loved them.
At Regions Hospital, medical staff said that Munoz’s condition was life-threatening and that he had blood pooling near his heart and lungs and that his blood pressure was dropping.
Doctors said he required multiple surgeries and might lose his eyesight.
Neighbors told detectives that Welle had been “disruptive and terrorized” the neighbors since he moved in about two years ago. He played loud music and banged around, making pounding sounds and yelling. He wrote a previous tenant that she stomped when she walked, and signed the note “Your worst nightmare.” Other neighbors said he wasn’t taking his medication. They were afraid to confront him and had decided to speak to building management about him.
While searching Welle’s apartment, police found a bloody knife with the name “Thomas” on its wooden handle, the complaint said.
Welle’s family told detectives that he is “extremely dangerous, erratic, and unpredictable” and worry he will return and hurt Moroz or others again.
Authorities arrested him the next day and found him walking near the building with blood on his feet and hands. When he saw officers, he held up his hands to be arrested and said that he had acted in self-defense.
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The criminal complaint said Welle has been convicted of arson in the second degree and assault in the fourth degree in Dakota County, prior to the stabbing. He had set fire to his mattress in a group home, and he spat in a responding officer’s face. Welle also has a long history of civil commitments.
He is already facing trial on felony assault in the fifth degree in Hennepin County for repeatedly punching a doctor, who had treated Welle for 15 years at the time.
His next scheduled court appearance is on Oct. 15.
