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A POLITICIAN has been arrested for allegedly throwing a live tarantula at a renter who, she claimed, refused to leave her house.
Marisa Simonetti is a candidate for a position on the Hennepin County Board. She was accused of throwing a live spider and various items at a renter in her Edina residence.
Simonetti, 30, says Jackie Vasquez rented a room in the house and then refused to leave.
The victim claimed the politician threw a live tarantula at her, among various other junk in an aggressive encounter, as reported by WRHM.
There appeared to be children’s toys, building blocks, and even a belt among the items hurled at Vasquez, photos obtained by the outlet revealed.
A video of the encounter shows Simonetti tossing the spider down a staircase as Vasquez calls for help.
Simonetti was arrested on June 21.
In her mugshot, the politician is seen smiling smugly at the camera.
Simonetti is facing a 5th-degree assault charge – coded by Edina Police as “fear of bodily harm or death.”
“Fifth-degree assault means someone only needs to feel fear or feel afraid of bodily harm,” Simonetti said in an interview with WRHM.
“I never hit anybody. I never touched anybody.
“And the reason I was held longer is because she was in my house. So it had to potentially be considered a domestic.”
Simonetti denied the accusations, arguing that the renter had located her via a short-term rental platform and overstayed the agreed upon rental period.
Upon investigation, it was discovered through property records that Simonetti is not the homeowner, leading to doubts about her authority to rent out part of the property.
In addition, short-term rentals are not allowed in Edina.
During Simonetti’s court appearance, Judge Jamie Anderson commented on “the weird nature” of the case.
Although he insisted that it didn’t undermine the case’s gravity.
Simonetti was released Monday afternoon after posting a $2,000 bond.
I never hit anybody. I never touched anybody.
Marisa Simonetti
The judge ordered that the two weren’t allowed to room together which didn’t pose a problem as Vasquez did move out of the property over the weekend.
But this isn’t Simonetti’s first offense.
In the past, she has faced several allegations in criminal and civil court.
She was charged with credit card fraud for over $80,000 of charges on her ex-fiancé’s credit card, KARE reported.
That was dropped when the ex-fiancé, a former Woodbury dentist, settled with Simonetti in civil court.
Simonetti and another ex-boyfriend, also the father of her child, have current restraining orders against each other, KARE also reported.
Despite frequent encounters with the law, Simonetti said she is still campaigning for a seat on the Hennepin County Board.
She is running as a conservative.
Simonetti and Vasquez have not replied for immediate comment.
