2nd robber convicted in 2011 case

Published 7:01 am Monday, October 15, 2012

The second person in an Oct. 29, 2011, robbery scheme was convicted Thursday in Mower County Court.

Hans G. Kitange, 19, was sentenced to 5 years’ probation for simple robbery for his role in the incident. Two other felony charges, first-degree aggravated robbery and first-degree burglary were dismissed. The other involved person, Tairicca Cierre Einfeldt, 21, of Austin, was convicted of the same charge weeks ago and ordered to serve 10 years’ supervised probation and complete community service.

Police began investigating the case on Oct. 29, 2011. They went to Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin to speak to Einfeldt, who had been stabbed in the back. According to the court complaint, Einfeldt said she drank with a Hispanic man, consented to have sex with him but changed her mind. She said the man retrieved a knife from the kitchen and indicated he was going to force sex on her.

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Einfeldt said she was stabbed in the midst of an argument. Police were unclear how Einfeldt was stabbed or by whom when she gave her account.

Kitange’s story echoed Einfeldt’s with a few inconsistencies, and he changed the version of his story when interviewed, according to the court complaint. Police found an unpackaged condom on the floor of the apartment, and the man’s neighbors — upon hearing the victim’s scream for help — found him shirtless and fixing his pants.

Police contacted the man Einfeldt claimed tried to rape her. The man admitted he met Einfeldt on a few occasions, who allegedly said she would have sex with him for money.

However, Einfeldt reportedly began drinking the man’s bottle of rum and looking out the window repeatedly. The man told police Einfeldt looked out the window after a couple minutes and said, “The cops aren’t coming,” at which point Kitange allegedly entered the apartment and tried to steal the man’s wallet.

According to the court complaint, a struggle ensued and led to the kitchen where Kitange yelled at Einfeldt to grab a knife. The man told police he was afraid the couple would kill him, so he took the knife, began screaming for help and stabbed Einfeldt in the back, according to court documents.

Neighbors told police they heard screams for help and checked on the situation. According to the court complaint, they never heard a woman screaming.