Man Accused of Beating Lakeville Woman in Argument Over Air Conditioning

A Lakeville woman told police her boyfriend beat her during an argument on May 2 about their apartment unit's air conditioning. The victim's four-year-old son was home during the melee.

Aaron Dana Ott, 39, has been charged by the Dakota County Attorney's Office with with three felonies including domestic abuse and making terroristic threats in connection with the incident. He was also charged with a gross misdemeanor of interfering with a 911 call.

According to the criminal complaint, neighbors called 911 after hearing a child screaming, doors slamming, and a lot of yelling. When arrived to the Dodd Boulevard apartment complex, the victim answered the door and told them Ott had "beaten her ass." Officers also noticed multiple red marks on her face, swelling of an eye, and a scratch on her neck.

The complaint says she explained to police that she had been laying on the floor when Ott had come home. They got into an argument about the apartment's air conditioning, when Ott began punching the victim in the face and head. She had tried to call 911, but Ott took the phone from her and said he would kill her before police arrived.

The four-year-old told police he saw Ott punching his mother in the face, and that "mommy was hurt and she had an 'owwy,'" the complaint said.

Ott is still in Dakota County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. on May 29 in Hastings.