WILLMAR -- An 18-year-old Willmar man made his first court appearance Friday on a felony third-degree assault charge for allegedly beating up another student Thursday at Willmar Senior High School.
David Gutierrez Jr. also faces a fifth-degree assault charge.
Unconditional bail was set at $15,000. Conditional bail was allowed on his personal recognizance. Conditions include abiding by an order for protection and possessing now weapons. His next appearance in Kandiyohi County District Court is Feb. 1.
According to the complaint, a Willmar police officer working as the resource officer at the high school was called around 1 p.m. to a disturbance. A school official had brought a student to the nurse's office to receive treatment for a laceration on his forehead that was bleeding excessively.
The student had told the school official that another student, whom he didn't know, had approached him in the hallway, swore at him, questioned him and followed him. He said the student, later identified as Gutierrez, pushed him into a doorway, hit him and continued to hit him even after he had fallen to the floor. Gutierrez then walked away and the student said he went to a restroom to attempt to stop the bleeding from his wound.
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The officer reviewed video surveillance and observed the confrontation. However, the assault was out of the camera's view. A student, who was seen on the tape, was interviewed and said Gutierrez pushed the victim into the wall, hit him and caused a wound that split open the top of victim's forehead.
Gutierrez was interviewed and said the other student wanted to start a fight. He allegedly admitted to hitting the victim in the face and continuing to hit him after the boy fell down.
