Dr. Rebecca Holcomb described the victim's injuries in the first-degree assault case against Patrick Michael Aleman as the worst domestic assault/assault case she had ever seen.
Holcomb, the emergency medicine director at Essentia Health-St. Joseph Medical Center in Brainerd, said the injuries of the victim were "consistent with torture where she was repeatedly beaten, burned and suffered like no one else ever should."
Dr. Holcomb, who has seen thousands of domestic assault and assault injuries over more than a 10-year span, was among several people who testified during Aleman's trial in Crow Wing County District Court Thursday in front of Judge David J. Ten Eyck.
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Dr. Rebecca Holcomb, the emergency medicine director at Essentia Health-St. Joseph Medical Center in Brainerd, said the injuries of the victim were "consistent with torture where she was repeatedly beaten, burned and suffered like no one else ever should."
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Crow Wing County Attorney Don Ryan called the following witnesses to testify: Samantha Collins, the woman's friend; Robby Ahmann, an ex-boyfriend; Debra Blowers, a registered nurse in the emergency room (ER) at the Brainerd hospital; and Dr. Holcomb. Brainerd police officers Paul Dooley and Michael Kulzer were called again at Aleman's request.
Aleman is representing himself in the court trial. Aleman was charged with three felonies Feb. 20, 2014, in Crow Wing County District Court for first-degree attempted murder, while committing domestic abuse with past pattern of domestic abuse; third-degree assault to cause substantial bodily harm; and domestic assault by strangulation. Those charges have since been amended to first-degree assault to cause great bodily harm; third-degree assault to cause substantial bodily harm; and domestic assault by strangulation.
Aleman said he only had one witness to call to the stand and it was himself. Ten Eyck made it clear to Aleman he has the right to remain silent and he wanted Aleman to understand he does not have to prove his innocence. The judge said if Aleman gives up his right to remain silent, he would be cross-examined by Ryan. Aleman said he understood.
Aleman, who was the last witness to testify Thursday, walked to the stand with his ankles in shackles. He sat down and Ten Eyck said, "What do you want to tell me?"
"I want to tell you my side of the story," said Aleman.
Aleman said the woman was distraught for weeks over a pregnancy test and over taking pills causing her hormones to be unbalanced. He was frustrated because she wouldn't tell him her feelings and he asked her many times if she was OK because he was concerned.
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Patrick Aleman said the woman was distraught for weeks over a pregnancy test and over taking pills causing her hormones to be unbalanced. He was frustrated because she wouldn't tell him her feelings and he asked her many times if she was OK because he was concerned.
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Aleman said he asked for a few days off of work for Valentine's Day in 2014 to spend time with the woman and her daughter. He said he was invited to a movie and dinner with the woman, Collins and their children on Feb. 14, 2014, and they all went. He said the woman did not want to go to dinner afterwards because she wanted to go home.
Aleman said the night of Feb. 17, 2014, just hours before the alleged assault was reported to have happened, was a typical night. He said they drank and had some arguments.
Aleman said the women fell on and broke one table, and then another, before passing out by the remains of her late husband.
"She was curled up like a ball and there was beer spilled," he said.
Aleman said he got called into work early so he had to go to Wal-Mart to purchase oil or brake fluid. He said he woke up, got his stuff ready for work, packed food and then headed out. He said he didn't know the woman was in the hospital until police pulled him over in a traffic stop.
ER testimony
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Dr. Holcomb and Blowers, who treated the woman in the ER, both testified that she initially claimed her injuries were from a fall. Dr. Holcomb and Blowers asked the woman several times if she was assaulted as her injuries were not consistent with a fall. They both said it is common for a victim to lie about what happened to them out of fear for their life.
Dr. Holcomb said that she believes what made the woman tell the truth was knowing her daughter was in a safe place and not in harm's way. Dr. Holcomb said a third party provided information on where the daughter was and Collins told her the daughter heard fighting.
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Dr. Holcomb and Debra Blowers, a registered nurse, who treated the woman in the ER, both testified that she initially claimed her injuries were from a fall. Dr. Holcomb and Blowers asked the woman several times if she was assaulted as her injuries were not consistent with a fall.
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Ryan had Blowers and Dr. Holcomb, who testified separately, look at the photo exhibits of the woman's injuries and describe them. They said the woman had bruises and redness all over her body, multiple burn marks, swollen lips, a bite to the cheek and a chipped tooth. They said the woman had difficulty breathing and was in a lot of pain.
Blowers said the woman's body was full of bruises that were different in color, which meant some of the bruises were older than others. Dr. Holcomb said the colors of bruises can mean different things, such as how many times an area was hit or assaulted or how much force was used.
Dr. Holcomb told the court that when the woman came into the ER she was "horrified and emotionally distraught. We commented (in the ER) that she looked like a rabbit in a cage. ... It was very upsetting. She was awake and able to answer questions. She didn't appear to be intoxicated."
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Aleman asked Dr. Holcomb if the burn marks could have been from embers of cigarettes. She said the burn marks were consistent with something hot and pressed on the skin for a long time, like a cigarette. She said embers would have burned her clothes and could not have made the burn marks.
Aleman asked if a person would pass out, fall straight down and land on something, would they suffer an injury? Dr. Holcomb said they can. He also asked her if a person fell at a certain angle if they would bruise. Dr. Holcomb said it is possible for it to leave a mark or to not leave a mark.
Collins' testimony
Collins said she is friends with the alleged victim and their children played together and had sleepovers. Collins said when Aleman lived with the woman she would not allow her child to sleep over there because she didn't trust Aleman and was uncomfortable with the situation. Collins said the woman was more closed off and secretive when she was with Aleman.
"When she wasn't with him she was back to her normal self," Collins said. "She was more jumpy when he was around. ... She told me one time if anything was to happened to her she asked me if I could take her daughter."
Collins said when she saw the woman on Valentine's Day of 2014 at the movies, the woman did not have bleeding or swollen lips or a broken tooth. Collins said the woman seemed to be sore as when she walked she would huddle against Aleman, using him like a crutch.
Collins said the next time she had contact with the woman was when she asked her to pick up her daughter from school because she didn't want people to see her face. Collins said she had a busted lip, bruises on her face but her tooth was not broken at that time.
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"When she wasn't with him she was back to her normal self," Samantha Collins, the woman's friend said. "She was more jumpy when he was around. ... She told me one time if anything was to happened to her she asked me if I could take her daughter."
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"She looked scared," said Collins. "As I was talking to her, he came up to her from behind and gave me a look and she looked scared and looked at me with fear. ... She shut the door."
Collins said she will never forget the night when the woman called asking to come over to help her. She said it was at 2:44 a.m. Feb. 18, 2014.
"When I got there and saw her ... I will never forget what I saw," said Collins. "She was curled up in a ball and covered with bruises. Her entire leg was covered.
"She was crying and shaking," Collins said as she broke down in tears and needed a minute to compose herself. "She said she couldn't breath and I called 911."
Collins said the woman told her the story how she fell, but later admitted it was Aleman who assaulted her. Ryan asked Collins if the woman, who she has known for a few years, was clumsy. Collins said no.
Aleman asked Collins if she ever saw him hit her. Collins said no, but said he was intimidating.
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Ahmann's testimony
Ahmann said he had an intimate relationship with the woman. He lived with her for one or two months and then moved out when they had an argument.
Ryan asked him if he ever hit her or assaulted her and he said no.
Ahmann said he met the woman for coffee on Feb. 13, 2014, where they talked and the next time he saw her was the day after the assault when police officers called him.
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Robby Ahmann, an ex-boyfriend, said he met the woman for coffee on Feb. 13, 2014, where they talked and the next time he saw her was the day after the assault when police officers called him.
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During cross-examination, Aleman asked if Ahmann remembered that he told him about his relationship with the woman and how she was being "lovey-dovey" with him. Ahmann said he did. Aleman asked Ahmann if he was mad about the "stuff" he and the woman talked about and he said he was a little irritated.
On Friday, Ryan will have his chance to cross-examine Aleman.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jennewsgirl .
