Man charged after assault

By David Olson

November 21, 2003 at 11:00 PM

A Detroit Lakes, Minn., man is accused in Cass County District Court of attacking a gay man in the latter's Fargo apartment Tuesday.

Derek L. Puttbrese, 20, is charged with felony aggravated assault and felonious restraint.

He was being held in the Cass County Jail Friday night in lieu of $7,500 bond or cash bail.

According to court records:

Police went to a south Fargo apartment about 3:20 p.m. Tuesday regarding a possible fight.

Upon arriving, officers heard a faint call for help coming from behind a door.

They opened the door and found a 44-year-old man on the floor, covered with blood.

The man's hands were bound in front of him and his pants were down.

It appeared to officers the man was choking on blood coming from a broken nose.

The man was taken to MeritCare Hospital in Fargo, where he was treated for unspecified injuries.

The man, who was described in police reports as openly gay, told investigators that on Monday he met a 20-year-old man, apparently homeless, at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

The victim said he offered the younger man a place to stay for the night, making it clear he was not interested in him sexually.

The victim said his guest slept by himself on a chair.

On Tuesday, the victim purchased some wine and the two men started drinking.

The victim said the more his guest drank the more agitated he became and at some point the younger man attacked him from behind, swearing at him and calling him a derogatory term for homosexual.

The victim said his attacker struck him repeatedly in the face, tied his hands together, and then continued to assault him.

He said he was unsure whether he passed out, but he could not remember when his attacker left.

The victim provided police with the possible name of his attacker and he was shown a photo lineup including the driver's license photo of the suspect.

The victim identified Puttbrese as the person who attacked him.

Puttbrese was arrested by Fargo police Wednesday at a Fargo movie theater.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Dave Olson at (701) 241-5555

By David Olson

I'm a reporter and a photographer and sometimes I create videos to go with my stories.

I graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead and in my time with The Forum I have covered a number of beats, from cops and courts to business and education.

I've also written about UFOs, ghosts, dinosaur bones and the planet Pluto.

You may reach me by phone at 701-241-5555, or by email at dolson@forumcomm.com

Man charged after assault

A Detroit Lakes, Minn., man is accused in Cass County District Court of attacking a gay man in the latter's Fargo apartment Tuesday. Derek L. Puttbrese, 20, is charged with felony aggravated assault and felonious restraint. He was being held in t...