St. Paul Man Sentenced After Stillwater Domestic Assault

A St. Paul man on Nov. 7 was sentenced to two years in the Minnesota Correctional Facility at St. Cloud after a felony conviction of violating a domestic abuse no-contact order within 10 years of two or more similar convictions.

According to a Washington County criminal complaint, Stillwater police arrested Joshua Robert Dreyling, 22, after being dispatched to the Stillwater home of Dreyling’s ex-girlfriend following a domestic assault.

Upon arrival, police noted the victim—the mother of Dreyling’s two children—had what appeared to be recent bruising and swelling on her face, jaw and neck, the complaint stated.

According to the complaint, the victim told Stillwater police Dreyling assaulted her an hour before their arrival. She said he strangled her, hit her several times in the face with a closed fist and, when she fell on the ground, repeatedly kicked her in the torso.

Dreyling also allegedly threatened to slit the throats of the victim and the two children if they could not keep quiet, the complaint stated.

Dreyling was originally charged with felony counts of domestic abuse, domestic assault by strangulation and terroristic threats but Washington County District Court Judge Ellen Maas dismissed the charges after Dreyling pleaded to the current one.

An investigation into Dreyling’s criminal record revealed numerous domestic abuse-related charges including conviction of misdemeanor domestic assault in Dakota County in May 2008 and a conviction of fifth-degree assault in May 2002.