By Patrick Tepoorten

It has been six days since the stillness of early morning in Rush City was shattered by violence on N. Eliot Street. Penny Lynn Peters, 45, was stabbed eight to 10 times at around 2:30 a.m. on July 26, and suspect, Steven David Pawliszko was on the run. Now, Peters has returned to her life and Pawliszko is behind bars, charged with multiple counts of attempted murder and assault.

Pawliszko, 46, was at large and considered armed and dangerous until around noon the day of the stabbing, when he sought treatment for what investigators believe were self-inflicted wounds at Cambridge Memorial Hospital. That was when an alert person at Cambridge Memorial Hospital recognized Pawliszko from media coverage and called police. He was detained by the Cambridge Police Department and the Isanti County Sheriff's Office and turned over to Chisago County.

Pawliszko was interviewed on July 27, but according to Sheriff Todd Rivard, did not offer much information or explanation. It is believed that Pawliszko was intoxicated at the time of the attack and at the time of his arrest and, according to Rivard, claimed he was blacked out at the time of the attempt on Peters' life.

His first court appearance was Monday, July 30, and he was formally charged with three separate counts of attempted first degree murder, one count of attempted second degree murder, and one count of first degree assault. Bail was set at $1 million dollars and, were Pawliszko to be released, he would be subject to a tracking device and allowed no contact with the victim, her workplace, family, or complainants in the matter. He is also banned from coming within five miles of Peters' residence.

However, Pawliszko is being held unconditionally for violating the terms of release based on an earlier conviction related to the same victim.

Pawliszko, and the residence where the assault took place, has a history of domestic issues. There were calls to the residence in September and October of 2006, and in May of 2007 Pawliszko was arrested for threatening Peters with a knife. He was served with an order for protection on May 18 and Hoppe believes he was removed from the residence at that time.

According to county attorney Janet Reiter, Pawliszko is currently awaiting sentencing for a felony terroristic threats conviction related to the May 2007 threats.

The assault

The assault happened at approximately 2:30 a.m., July 26, at North Eliot Ave., a block north of the community pool. According to witnesses, Pawliszko crashed his 2002 Chevrolet Silverado truck through Peters' garage door and entered the house. Peters was stabbed multiple times before she was able to flee the residence.

According to the criminal complaint, Peters heard noises outside the residence. When she got out of bed to investigate, she observed Pawliszko drive his truck through the garage door. She shouted to Pawliszko, still in the garage, that she was going to call the police. It was as she was reaching for the phone that Pawliszko began to stab her in the back.

Peters then turned to face her attacker, and was stabbed in the front approximately eight times. According to Peters' testimony, Pawliszko was remarked during the assault that Peters "was not going to (have sexual relations) with that guy."

Members of neighbor Cindy Becker's family heard the crash and Pawliszko yelling at Peters and, moments later, heard the door bell and saw Peters on the front porch. The Beckers brought her into their kitchen, called 911, and awaited an ambulance.

Becker's husband, Judd, ran outside in time to see Pawliszko's truck leaving the scene. For Cindy Becker, the assault was over almost as quickly as it started.

"The whole thing took maybe five minutes at the most," said Cindy Becker. "It happened all so fast."

Despite her injuries, Peters was lucid while at the Becker's. "She was alert the whole time, and we were keeping her alert until the ambulance came," she said.

That Pawliszko assaulted Peters did not seem to come as much of a surprise to residents in the neighborhood. As they gathered outside the residence around 10 a.m. to find out what happened, one resident said simply, "Steve came back."

The Beckers were already trying to right some of the damage to the victim's house as of last Thursday. The garage door was already taken down, and they were given clearance by Sheriff's investigators to clean up the crime scene.

Pawliszko in court

Pawliszko's next court appearance on the multiple counts of attempted first degree murder and charges of second degree attempted murder and first degree assault is scheduled for Aug. 20, at 1 p.m.

Because of the "attempted" nature of the charges, Pawliszko is subject to half the penalty than had he been successful in carrying out an attempt on Peters' life. Each count of attempted first degree murder carries with it a penalty of 20 years in prison. The second degree attempted murder charge has a penalty of 10 years in prison, as does the first degree assault charge.