EDINA, Minn. (TCN) — A woman running for a county commission seat has been accused of throwing a tarantula at a roommate she was having trouble with.
Hennepin County According to prison records, Marisa Simonetti was charged Friday, June 21, with fifth-degree assault and misdemeanor domestic assault. She was released on $4,000 bail.
According to KMSP-TV, Jackie Vasquez reportedly moved into Simonetti's home, but Simonetti was not the owner. The two women reportedly argued because Vasquez claimed there was a “spider infestation” in the home. Simonetti told KMSP In the interview, Vasquez said he made Simonetti “uncomfortable” by “bombing” her with text messages about problems at home.
On June 21, their dispute reportedly reached a boiling point when Simonetti played Christian music, threw objects down the stairs, yelled at her, and bought a tarantula and threw it at Vasquez. Simonetti called the incident “sort of comical” and likened it to Kevin McCallister's behavior in “Home Alone.” Simonetti claimed he never approached or touched Vasquez.
Simonetti claimed Vasquez was an illegal resident and joked that instead of making things worse, he should have “invited me over for tea and crumpets.” Vasquez said he paid rent to KMSP and was not an illegal resident.
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Simonetti previously worked in the real estate industry, but had his license revoked in 2016 due to “fraudulent, deceptive and dishonest practices.” Her ex-fiancé also sued her, accusing her of trying to use his credit cards and her money in the past.
Simonetti is running for the District 6 seat on the Hennepin County Commission, and her platform slogan is “Rebuilding Safety through Family Values.”
According to the Star Tribune, Simonetti has admitted to having an OnlyFans account, and when asked about the claims that she worked as an escort, she said, “People are going to question that. It's better than swiping endlessly on Tinder and wasting my time on guys who just want to have a good time for free. I did absolutely nothing wrong and I have nothing to be ashamed of.”
Of the tarantula incident and his run for county commission, Simonetti told KMSP, “I'm good at solving problems creatively. At the end of the day, I never physically harmed anyone. I'm a little unconventional in my approach — which means I'm a dumb goose sometimes.”
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