A Cottage Grove man pleaded guilty this week in Washington County District Court to a charge of first-degree burglary after he allegedly put on a ski mask with a skeleton face, burst into a house and began hitting a man at a party.
According to a criminal complaint, Cottage Grove police were called to a house on Grafton Avenue at 4 a.m. Oct. 18 and arrested Brian James Hickson, 33. Witnesses told police that Hickson kicked in the kitchen door and charged at a man who was with Hickson’s ex-girlfriend. Hickson also threatened to stab the man and to stab and shoot everyone at the party, the complaint said.
Hickson did not have a gun, but a search revealed that he had a 4-inch knife, brass knuckles and several lug nuts that had been taken from his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle, which was parked across the street, according to the complaint.
The girlfriend told police she was afraid of Hickson, who had recently texted her a photo of himself sitting in front of her house with a gas can, according to the complaint.
Sentencing for Hickson is scheduled for Aug. 23.