​​ST. PAUL — Two men have been arrested in connection with a kidnapping and assault that took place over multiple days in the city of Eveleth. Both have been booked into the St. Louis County Jail in Duluth.

• Paul Anthony Debelak (deh-beh-lek), 37, of Eveleth, was booked on probable cause criminal sexual conduct.
• Jacob Austin Holm, 29, of Eveleth, was booked on probable cause criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping.

The incident began on or around Nov. 27 at a private residence on the city's north end. A woman was sexually assaulted and beaten. A man was kidnapped and taken to 413 Grant Ave. in Eveleth, where he was held against his will and beaten for an extended period of time. The victims eventually escaped and fled the city. They reported the incident on Dec. ​1 to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), which launched an investigation.

The victims are in stable condition. Additional information about the victims is being withheld at this time under Minnesota Statute 13.82, subdivision 17.

BCA agents and crime scene personnel, along with St. Louis County Sheriff's Office and Eveleth and Gilbert police department investigators, are conducting interviews and executing multiple search warrants in and around Eveleth today.

This is an active and ongoing investigation. Additional updates will be provided as the investigation progresses and in criminal complaints, which are anticipated to be filed early next week in St. Louis County District Court in Virginia, Minn.

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Jill Oliveira  651-793-2726
jill.oliveira@state.mn.us