Rosemount Man Accused of Punching Woman in Head

A warrant has been issued for a Rosemount man charged with domestic assault after authorities say he punched a woman in the side of her head while the two were in a car in Lakeville.

Andre David Rush II, 19, faces a felony charge in connection with the June 8 incident. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint against Rush, Lakeville police were called to Fernando Way and Farcry Avenue and met with the victim, who said that Rush, her ex-boyfriend, had assaulted her.

The victim said she and Rush – who had recently been convicted of domestic assault against the same victim – were at a house party in Apple Valley and began arguing when Rush became jealous over text messages that she sent to another man.

During the argument, Rush took the victim’s keys and wouldn’t give them back, according to the complaint. Eventually she retrieved her keys, and the two got into her car, with Rush driving, the complaint says.

While the two were in Rosemount, near Rush’s home, he demanded to know the name of the man with whom the victim was texting, the complaint says. She put the phone in her bra to keep him from looking at it, and Rush tried to grab it, leaving scratch marks on the side of her chest, the complaint says.

The victim said she bit Rush’s hand to get him to stop grabbing for the phone, at which point he punched her in the side of the head.

The victim told officers that Rush had left his backpack in the back seat of her car, and that she suspected it contained marijuana, because she said he “deals.” She said he was selling marijuana at the party.

Officers took the backpack to the Lakeville police station and found Rush’s wallet, a glass jar containing suspected marijuana, along with two electronic scales, more than 100 clear plastic bags and $197 in cash.

Police went to Rush’s home, in the 16200 block of Finch Avenue West, arrested him and took him to the Lakeville police station. He told police that the victim had come to his house to apologize for having him arrested earlier in the year, and that during the conversation, another woman called Rush, which upset the victim.

Rush denied any physical contact between the two, and also denied being in her car, according to the complaint. When police asked about the items in the backpack, he told them that he had left his wallet at the party.

Rush has two previous convictions, in 2010 and 2011, for violating an order of protection.