Roseville man dies after assault, police say

A Roseville man who was found semiconscious in a city park after being assaulted in late December has died from his injuries, police said Friday.

Ismail Jama, 28, was discovered the morning of Dec. 24 in a drainage-pond ditch at Autumn Grove Park, just west of Lake Josephine, in Roseville.

Jama had been listed in critical condition at a hospital until Thursday, when the Roseville Police Department was informed that he had died.

"The Ramsey County medical examiner's office conducted an autopsy and has provisionally ruled his death a homicide due to a penetrating wound to his brain," police said in a release.

Final autopsy results still need to be completed. Roseville police believe the public is not in danger and Jama's assault was an isolated incident.

Police have said that evidence suggests that Jama drove to the park Dec. 22 between 5 and 10:50 p.m. Jama appeared to have gotten out of his vehicle, which police found near the park entrance, and entered the park, where he was "violently assaulted" near the tennis courts.

On Dec. 24, a resident was in the park with his family when he noticed Jama lying in the ditch and called police.

Jama's family didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers of Minnesota at 1-800-222-8477. Tipsters may remain anonymous, and tips could lead to a cash reward.

Nicole Norfleet • 612-673-4495