Man Allegedly Brandishes Handgun During Eagan Home Invasion

An Eagan man "stormed" into an occupied residence on Jan. 30, brandished a handgun, demanded money and threatened to kill three victims inside the home, according to police.

Nicholas Yoon Lee, 28, faces three felony counts of second-degree assault, one felony count of terroristic threats, two felony counts of first-degree burglary and one felony count of possession of marijuana following his alleged involvement in the home invasion.

Police say Lee burst into a home on the 4900 block of Rusten Rd. in Eagan at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 30. The 28-year-old allegedly demanded money from the owner of the home, saying that she owed him and that he would kill her. To back up his claims, Lee allegedly pulled a black semi-automatic handgun out of his jacket and pointed it at the victim, even taking the time to pull back the magazine and show her a row of bullets in the loaded pistol.

Police say Lee also pointed the gun at two other people in the home, and made a comment about "not wanting any witnesses."

Eventually, the victim was able to convince Lee to step outside the home, where police say he continued to threaten her—allegedly telling her at one point that he would shoot her dog, just to show that he was serious.

While she was speaking to police following the burglary, the victim called Lee. During the conversation, which was recorded by an officer, Lee allegedly acknowledged that he had been at her home with a gun and ended the phone call by threatening to come back over and kill her.

Police were able to trace the call to a business that Lee owns on Lake Street in Minneapolis. Lee was located at the business and arrested.

While he was being questioned, Lee allegedly asked to send a text to his lawyer. An investigator watching Lee discovered that the man had actually texted another person, asking them to "get all of the stuff out of my house." Police say Lee knew at that point that the investigator was typing up a search warrant for his home.

Police searched his residence and allegedly found two pounds of marijuana, a plastic bag with several 9mm bullets and another bag full of .380 caliber bullets. They also found an empty handgun case, but no gun.

Lee has a lengthy criminal history that includes a conviction for possession of dangerous butterfly knife brass knuckles, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. If convicted on a single felony first-degree burglary charge, Lee could face a maximum of 20 years in prison and $35,000 in fines.