A Republican congressional hopeful accused of throwing a tarantula at her roommate said she was simply reenacting a scene from Home Alone.
Marisa Simonetti, a Republican candidate for the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners in Edina, Minnesota, faces an assault charge after she allegedly threw the live insect at her roommate to get the woman to move out.
But the 30-year-old insisted there was an “element of humour” to the action and described herself as a “bimbo”.
Simonetti, who last year was charged with financial card fraud against her ex-lover, was arrested Friday and charged with fifth-degree assault after allegedly throwing the tarantula at attorney Jackie Vasquez, 30.
The politician claimed Vasquez was ‘squatting’ on the property, but the victim insists he had paid $1,500 to stay there through Airbnb.
Marisa Simonetti, 30, a Republican candidate for the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners in Edina, Minnesota, faces an assault charge after she allegedly threw a live tarantula at her housemate in an attempt to get the woman to move out.
Simonetti was arrested Friday and charged with fifth-degree assault after allegedly throwing the tarantula at her housemate, Jackie Vasquez, also 30, who lived downstairs.
Shocking video captures the moment Simonetti blasts Christian music while screaming and banging pots and pans before releasing the spider down the stairs.
Simonetti claimed he had no choice and accused Vásquez of squatting.
In an interview with KMSP-TV, He referenced the humor in the movie ‘Home Alone’ where a tarantula is placed on a criminal’s face, adding that she is just a ‘silly goose’.
“I mean, there’s an element of humor in that movie, and at the end, what was I supposed to do?” Simonetti said. Self-Support Program. “And at the end of the day, she ‘unhinged’ took her out of the house.”
Vasquez confirmed that he moved out of the property over the weekend.
“What he did is deeply disturbing and distressing. It was like something out of a horror movie,” he said.
Simonetti was released Monday without bail but was ordered not to have any contact with Vasquez, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
In a video she recorded of herself after her arrest, she said that there are always “two sides to a story” and that she will soon tell hers.
Simonetti said Vasquez had been renting a room to her since early June on Airbnb, which Vasquez confirmed. However, reports show Simonetti does not own the home and Airbnb rentals are not allowed in the city, according to the report. Kare Television.
The incident on Friday reportedly began after Vasquez repeatedly complained about a spider infestation in the home.
But the two women had a history of fighting, including allegations from Simonetti that Vasquez once slammed a door on her arm, according to the outlet.
“A fifth-degree assault means someone just needs to feel scared or afraid of physical harm,” he told KARE.
“I never hit anyone. I never touched anyone. And the reason they held me longer was because she was at my house. So it could potentially be considered a domestic incident.”
Vasquez, a lawyer, said the incident seemed like something out of a horror movie.
Siminetti referenced the humor in the film ‘Home Alone,’ where a tarantula is placed on a criminal’s face, and said she is just a ‘silly goose.’
Last year, Simonetti was accused of making transactions on his ex-lover’s financial cards and accounts for total amounts of $75,000 and $8,876.
The felony charges were eventually dropped after the victim refused to cooperate with prosecutors.
The aspiring lawmaker’s campaign page describes her as the only conservative candidate in the race who hopes to rebuild security through family values.
In an effort to promote her campaign message and gain support, Simonetti once posted a video on X-rated saying that having “low standards is selfish” and how tired she is of hearing that “Minnesota is a disgrace.”
But despite employing classic Republican electoral strategies, he has already lost the May 14 special election for the vacant District 6 county board seat to state Rep. Heather Edelson.
She was campaigning to become one of seven commissioners on the Hennepin County Board who are tasked with approving budgets for both the county attorney’s and sheriff’s offices.
Despite the loss, Simonetti has previously indicated that he will run again against Edelson in the upcoming November election.