United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced on April 9 the unsealing of a federal grand jury indictment charging Christopher Ostroushko, Deyanna Ostroushko, and Paige Ostroushko with assaulting a journalist during an anti-ICE protest in St. Paul, Minnesota on April 11.
The charges allege that the three individuals assaulted Savannah Hernandez, a journalist and contributor to Turning Point USA, while she was reporting outside a federal building. The indictment also states that Christopher Ostroushko and Paige Ostroushko willfully injured and intimidated Hernandez by force.
“These three individuals were indicted by a grand jury for allegedly assaulting journalist and Turning Point USA contributor Savannah Hernandez, while she was lawfully reporting on anti-ICE protests outside a federal building in St. Paul,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“Hernandez was allegedly surrounded, physically assaulted, and shoved to the ground — simply because she was identified by the defendants as a conservative journalist. That is NOT ‘peaceful protest.’ These deplorable actions as charged in the indictment will not be tolerated in America, and this Department of Justice will always punish unhinged acts of political violence.”
“Political violence is a national scourge,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen, “and federal law enforcement will not tolerate it.”
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota enhances community safety through public safety initiatives and outreach according to its official website. The office uses facilities located in Minneapolis and St. Paul according to its official website, operates under the U.S. Department of Justice according to its official website, employs about 140 people including more than 70 attorneys according to its official website, prosecutes federal crimes and handles civil litigation for the government according to its official website, serves all parts of Minnesota through headquarters and branch offices according to its official website, and has operated since 1849 while partnering with law enforcement agencies statewide according to its official website.
An indictment is merely an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
