A Menahga man was charged with terroristic threat and domestic assault crimes in Wadena County District Court in a dispute that escalated from a request to turn off a cell phone at a funeral.
According to Wadena County District Court records, Timothy Alan Sandberg, 46, became angry at a man at a family funeral who asked him to turn off his cellular phone during the ceremony.
Later on that night, court records said, the defendant confronted the man's girlfriend, whom he blamed for the request to turn off the cell phone. He accused her of "starting [expletive]," and when the defendant was asked to move the argument outside so as to not bother family members who were grieving, Sandberg allegedly said, "You better call the cops because I'll [expletive] kill you." Asked what he meant, he repeated, "That's right. I'll kill you." The victims got in their car and left town.
Witnesses reported they heard the threats being made, and believed them to be serious. The incidents occurred Feb. 1.
Sandberg has a domestic violence-related conviction from July 2002.
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He was charged with terroristic threats - reckless disregard risk and domestic assault on Feb. 19. His first appearance was set for March 16.
Steve Schulz is editor of the Wadena Pioneer Journal. He can be reached at editorial@wadenapj.com .
