'St. Paul slapper' suspect behind bars after bizarre string of attacks

Justin K. Kaneakua was charged after allegedly punching a customer at a thrift shop in Minnesota. (St. Paul Police Department)

The compulsive criminal dubbed the “St. Paul Slapper” is behind bars Monday after investigators said he walked into a Minnesota thrift shop and punched a customer before swinging a metal pipe at him.

Justin K. Kaneakua, 38, was charged last week with second- and third-degree assault in connection with the attack inside the Savers shop in nearby Columbia Heights on Jan. 7. He is being held in jail ahead of his Feb. 11 hearing.

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Kaneakua earned the peculiar moniker after being accused of a string of random, profanity-laced assaults across St. Paul.

“It was just bizarre behavior,” police spokesman Steve Linders said. “It’s unclear what his motive was.”

A Savers employee claims Kaneakua came up and mumbled something to her in the store -- and when she asked him to repeat his comment, he started swearing at her. That’s when another customer intervened and tried calling 911. Kaneakua allegedly got angry, tried grabbing the cell phone from the customer’s hand and eventually running after the customer, punching him four or five times.

The customer then said Kaneakua tried to hit him with a metal pipe but slipped on the ice and fell. The victim ended up with a broken tooth and needed stitches.

Investigators said Kaneakua apparently has been linked to similar assaults in the area.

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On Dec. 12, they said Kaneakua was driving a pickup truck while wearing a blue bandanna over his mouth. He approached a man getting into a car and allegedly hit the man below the eye with a wrench, investigators added. About 15 minutes later he allegedly assaulted a woman with a Gatorade bottle.

On Jan. 7, police say he assaulted two men in different incidents in the city. He’s accused of also damaging another man’s car.

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Court records showed Kaneaku has an extensive rap sheet including convictions in Minnesota from 1999 to 2017 for aggravated first-degree robbery, terroristic threats, trespassing, theft and disorderly conduct.