The Attack Began at Grant’s Front Door
In Minneapolis, Maria Grant said a man she knew came to her front door wearing a wig and attacked her with a hammer. Grant told CBS Minnesota/WCCO that the man had done yard work for her and walked her dog. She said he struck her repeatedly in the head, leaving her with severe head trauma and bleeding. As the assault continued, Grant focused on keeping him away from the staircase leading to the upstairs bedrooms, where her young children were sleeping.
Grant Fought to Protect the Stairs
Despite her injuries, Grant kept trying to block the man from moving toward the stairs. She said he stepped past her and went for the staircase. Grant had already suffered blows to the head, yet she continued to resist long enough to keep the danger away from the bedrooms. The children were asleep upstairs, and the suspect was moving in that direction. He never made it. Before he could go farther, Athena, Grant’s 7-year-old, 80-pound pit bull, confronted him. In that moment, the family dog became the last line between the attacker and the children.
Athena Stopped the Suspect
Grant recalled what happened next in plain terms: “She was biting him,” she said. “And I could see the blood coming out of his legs from his jeans.” Athena tackled the suspect and bit his legs, forcing him to retreat. That gave Grant enough time to escape with her children and call for emergency assistance. The dog’s intervention kept the suspect from reaching the staircase and gave the family the seconds it needed to escape.
Grant Needed Six Staples
Grant required six staples in her head to treat her injuries. The man was later identified in charging documents as Damonte Richardson. He showed up at North Memorial Hospital with dog-bite wounds, and police arrested him. But the arrest did not keep him in custody.
The Suspect Remains at Large
Local authorities released Richardson from hospital custody before formal charges were finalized, allowing him to walk free. An active warrant has since been issued for second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, but Richardson remains at large. Grant has expressed intense frustration with the decision and said she fears for the safety of the community while the suspect is free. Law enforcement is asking anyone who knows where Richardson is to contact local authorities immediately. For a mother attacked inside her home while her children slept upstairs, that unresolved danger is not a paperwork issue. It is the reality her family is living with now.