A man under a civil commitment as being mentally ill and dangerous admitted in court Tuesday to fatally stabbing a woman in her St. Paul apartment in 2022 after believing she was his mother.

Appearing by Zoom from St. Peter Regional Treatment Center, Maurice Angelo McClinton Smith, 42, of St. Paul, pleaded guilty to second-degree intentional murder in the killing of 47-year-old Tina M. McCombs in the North End on Jan. 9, 2022.

Under questioning by his attorney John Riemer to establish a factual basis for the plea, Smith agreed that he had used methamphetamine and ecstasy and drank alcohol before going to McCombs’ apartment.

According to the criminal complaint, Smith and McCombs were Facebook friends, and Smith told police in an interview they met about a month earlier. The complaint wasn’t clear how well they knew each other.

Smith agreed with his attorney’s statements that McCombs had previously cut his hair, and that she had supported him through what the attorney said his client described as “very traumatic mother issues.”

Maurice Angelo McClinton Smith (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)

Through McCombs’ support, Riemer asked his client, “you transferred that into seeing this person as your mother?” “Yes, sir,” Smith said.

“In fact, you specifically killed (McCombs), stabbed her, to seek revenge for what your mother did to you?” Riemer asked. “Yes, sir,” Smith said.

Smith is under a civil commitment that was originally put in place about seven months after the killing. In August 2023, he was found to be competent to face the charges against him.

Under terms negotiated in his plea agreement, Smith faces a term in the low to middle range of state sentencing guidelines. Smith’s attorney said his custody placement will be determined by the Minnesota Department of Corrections and Department of Human Services.

Ramsey County District Judge Joy Bartscher set Smith’s sentencing for Feb. 13.

Two stab wounds to chest

Officers were sent to the apartment at 180 W. Larpenteur Ave. about 2:30 p.m. Jan. 9, 2022, after a report of a man kicking in doors while holding a knife. As officers were on the way, they received updated information that a woman had been stabbed.

Police found McCombs unresponsive on the bedroom floor, and parts of the door and lock to the apartment scattered in the entryway. She was pronounced dead, and an autopsy showed she’d been stabbed twice in her chest.

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Her boyfriend told police he was dozing in the living room when a man broke in. He heard McCombs yell, “What … is wrong with you?” before the man stabbed her. He said he’d seen the man around and thought he was homeless.

About 90 minutes after the killing, police received a report of a man lying on a back stoop of a residence three miles away and found Smith. He was unable to respond to officers, had dried blood on him and matched the stabbing suspect’s description. McCombs’ boyfriend identified him from a photo lineup as the man who killed her.

An investigator asked Smith why he was at McCombs’ apartment and he said “to get some tea and crumpets,” the complaint read. “… When asked why he went to see (McCombs), Smith said, ‘To kill her.’ Smith said he was a simple prophet.”

By COLLEEN BARRY

MILAN (AP) — Venice has been charmed by a recent visitor: An acrobatic, wild dolphin. The feeling appears to be mutual — he so far refuses to leave — but proximity to humans has put him in danger.

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The dolphin nicknamed Mimmo has been delighting tourists and Venetians for months with his acrobatic flips. Experts are now eager to move him into open water, especially after verifying wounds indicating that the dolphin had been likely hit by a boat propeller.

Multiple agencies used low-intensity acoustic devices to nudge Mimmo away from the heavily trafficked St. Mark’s Basin on Saturday — and it worked briefly. But the dolphin came back within an hour, as experts feared he would.

“It’s very worrying because it’s a hot spot with lots of boat traffic,’’ said Guido Pietroluongo, a veterinarian at the University of Padua’s emergency response team for stranded dolphins, whales and porpoises, known by the acronym CERT.

St. Mark’s Basin, the shallow expanse of water in front of St. Mark’s Square connecting to both the Giudecca and Grand Canals, is heavily trafficked by ferries, vaporetti buses, water taxis, and private boats.

During the failed operation, experts confirmed Mimmo had suffered superficial lesions, likely from a boat propeller, Pietroluongo said. It was the first time they had noted injuries to the dolphin, and his wounds are expected to fully heal. But experts are worried about his continued safety in such proximity to human activity.

They don’t plan any immediate action, and are hoping that colder seasonal temperatures will lure him, and his fish prey, out of the lagoon toward warmer waters, Pietroluongo said.

Mimmo’s arrival in the Venetian lagoon was registered on July 23, and experts say the coastal creature likely followed a school of fish into the brackish waters separated from the open sea by barrier islands. He was nicknamed for the sailing instructor who first spotted him off the Venetian lagoon fishing town of Chioggia.

Mimmo follows the pattern of a so-called social loner, typically a young male dolphin that breaks away from the pod for food or for social reasons and then comes into contact with the human world, said Sandro Mazzariol, a CERT veterinarian.

“Around 100 cases have been documented around the world in which these animals are absolutely at ease and remain healthy despite not interacting with their peers,’’ Mazzariol said in a Facebook video post.

Dolphins sightings in Venice are rare but not unheard of, Mazzariol said.

The most recent incident involved a pair of striped dolphins spotted in February 2021 that were quickly guided back to the open sea with acoustic devices. They never returned.

Mimmo has been closely monitored during his lagoon sojourn, and has been reported in good health and nutrition as he feasts on a diet befitting any Venetian tourist: mullet, sea bass and sea bream. His behavior also has been deemed normal, including his playful aerial flips.

The University of Padua team has been going out weekly to check on the animal, and they get regular updates from citizens who share sightings, including photos and videos.

Authorities are warning citizens and boaters not to feed or interact with the dolphin, which is a criminal offense. Dolphins are protected under Italian, EU and international law. But the fact that Mimmo’s fame is spreading is part of the problem.

“The dolphin has become an attraction. Boats stopping to watch him can stress the animal,’’ Pietroluongo said.

Gophers true freshman running back Tre Berry has left the U football team, the Pioneer Press confirmed Tuesday night.

Berry’s actions in recent weeks led to his exit from the program, a source said. He was on the team’s roster for the Michigan State win on Nov. 1, but was off it before the Oregon loss on Nov. 14.

Berry was a late addition to the Gophers 2025 recruiting class; he filled the spot vacated when Shane Marshall flipped to Georgia Tech on national signing day last December.

The 5-foot-10, 200-pound native of Montgomery, Ala., was redshirting this season and did not appear in any games for the U this fall.

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After 30 years at Taco Bell in Oak Park Heights, Brenda Foley knows most of her customers like family — and their orders by heart.

“She knows everyone, and everyone knows Brenda,” said Brian Ennen, an area coach for Border Foods, the franchisee that owns all 100 Taco Bell restaurants in Minnesota. “She knows them by name. She knows them by voice, actually, through the drive-through on the headset. She knows their orders. If she misses a day, people ask for her. They want to see her smiling face. They’re used to the service, and that’s a lot of the reasons they keep coming back.”

Brenda Foley, gets a hug from Brian Ennen, Taco Bell Area Coach during a celebration of her 30th year working at the Stillwater Taco Bell on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

On Tuesday, Taco Bell officials marked Foley’s 30th work anniversary with a cake, balloons, gifts and cards.

Foley, known affectionately as “Taco Bell Mom,” is the “heart and soul” of the restaurant, said store manager Renu Pandey.

“I mean, food is everywhere,” Pandey said. “People don’t just come in for food. People come in because they feel appreciated. Everybody wants to be heard. Everybody wants to have five seconds of a positive experience in their busy, chaotic day. And Brenda reminds us to make sure we do that.”

‘Be nice’

Brenda Foley, fondly known as the “Taco Bell Mom” of the Oak Park Heights store. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Foley, 60, of Woodbury, has helped train hundreds of new employees through the years. She said kindness and positive reinforcement are more successful in getting employees to perform well than negativity and criticism.

“My philosophy is to be nice. I think that goes way further than being, you know, vigilant,” Foley said. “I teach them the basics: manners and how to talk to people. We teach them how to do the dishes and how to sweep, a little bit of everything. Basically, I try to teach them how to be nice to people. It’s just common-sense things.”

One of Foley’s trainees, Jordan Matlack, has been working at Taco Bell for just over a year. The two now work the early-morning shift, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays, together.

“She’s really good at showing people the right ways to do things and getting stuff ready for the whole day,” Matlack said. “It’s great working with her. It’s so nice to be with somebody who’s got a good attitude. It sets the mood for the day.”

Foley was recognized earlier this year with a “Heart of Border Foods Award” for “exemplifying the positive attitude, dedication and family culture at the core of the company’s business.” The company has more than 7,000 employees working in nearly 250 restaurants across the Upper Midwest – and Foley was one of three employees to earn the recognition this year.

The prize was an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, she said.

“Brenda is an individual who truly cares about the team,” Gay Demarree, director of operations for Border Foods, said in a video explaining why Foley was being honored. “She is the first to ask for promotions like ‘Taco Man’ and ‘Sauce-Packet Man.’ She’s the first to ask for us to be involved in any community event.”

Foley also is the store decorator, making sure that the restaurant is decked out for every holiday, she said, pointing to the Thanksgiving decor hanging on the walls. “I go all out for every holiday,” she said. “Halloween, Easter, Valentine’s Day, you name it.”

Grandparents were caterers

Foley was born and raised in Stillwater, but spent part of her high-school years in St. Joseph, Mo. She started working in the food business when she was 12, helping her maternal grandparents, Frank and Opal Porter, at their catering business in Hudson, Wis. “I served plates of food, did the dishes, made the coffee,” she said. “It was really a little bit of everything.”

Staying in food service made sense for the self-proclaimed extrovert, she said.

“I like people, and I like making food,” she said. “When my grandparents retired, a lady I know who worked here at Taco Bell in Stillwater said, “Come on, come on, we need you.’ And I’ve been here ever since.”

Foley said she’s been working at Taco Bell so long that she sometimes sees the children – and even grandchildren – of customers and former co-workers.

After suffering a heart attack in 2019, Foley went part-time and made the switch from store manager to service champion. “I decided to kind of step down and take it easy a little bit,” she said. “I work fewer hours, but I still boss everybody around.”

Brenda Foley, left, gives her manager, Renu Pandey, a kiss as they celebrate Foley’s 30th year. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Foley, who works Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, said she likes the fast pace and variety. “There’s always something to do,” she said.

Not quitting

After 30 years, she still likes the food, especially the tacos, she said.

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Her favorite is a Soft Taco Supreme with meat, cheese, lettuce, sour cream and tomatoes. Coming in second place is the Mexican Pizza, which features “seasoned beef and refried beans layered between two crispy, flour tortilla shells with Mexican Pizza sauce, diced tomatoes, and a blend of mozzarella, pepperjack and cheddar cheeses,” according to the company’s website.

Foley, who has two children and four grandchildren, plans to work at Taco Bell until her “body says ‘nope,’” she said. “’Till I can’t no more.”

A tree planted behind the restaurant is a living testament to Foley’s longevity. It was planted the summer after she started, she said.

“It’s been here for as long as I’ve been here,” she said. “We have a little joke about it – that they’re going to sprinkle my ashes around the tree.”