A Ramsey man is facing two criminal charges after police say he repeatedly struck his 11-year-old daughter with a belt and threatened to “break her bones” because she received a C in choir class.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Anoka County District Court, 40-year-old Cyrus Kitetu Mukuvi is charged with malicious punishment of a child—a gross misdemeanor—and domestic assault—a misdemeanor. The alleged assault occurred on October 14, 2025, at the family’s home on Tiger Street Northwest in Ramsey.
Police were called the following day after a school counselor contacted a resource officer about concerns raised by the student. Officers interviewed the child, who said her father became angry during an online video conference at their home and struck her on the left leg with a folded belt seven to ten times. She told police he threatened to “break her bones” during the beating.
Officers noted visible bruises on the child’s leg, which were consistent with blunt trauma. The girl also said she was forced to sing a song from her choir class while crying as both of her parents laughed. According to the complaint, the child’s mother confirmed during a post-Miranda interview that she and Mukuvi had made the child sing after the punishment.
The girl told police she was often afraid to go home when she didn’t perform well in school and said her mother had also hit her in the past.
Mukuvi was arrested and remains in custody under an order of detention signed by District Court Judge Karin McCarthy on October 16, 2025. If convicted, he faces up to one year in jail and a $3,000 fine for the gross misdemeanor count, and up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine for the misdemeanor count.
The complaint was signed by Ramsey Police Officer Brad Hesse and approved by Anoka County Assistant Attorney David Romaker Jr.
