Man Accused of Disorderly Conduct w/ Ax

By Brandi Makuski

A Stevens Point man has been arrested after reportedly causing a disturbance with an ax in an east-side apartment.

Police have requested charges of criminal damage to property, domestic abuse and disorderly conduct against 34-year-old Stryder Winch following a Dec. 6 incident on the 5400 block of Windy Drive.

A neighbor called 911 to report “yelling and crashing noises” from Winch’s apartment at 9:49 PM, according to the report. Police arrived on the scene within two minutes and were later joined by a Portage Co. Sheriff’s deputy who responded to assist.

According to the police report, the incident started as a verbal argument, during which Winch allegedly told a woman in the apartment that she and her six-month-old infant daughter should “kill themselves by drinking bleach.” The argument escalated when Winch reportedly retrieved an ax from his vehicle in the parking lot. He returned to the apartment and began to damage property inside the residence, the report says.

Winch was confronted by a Portage Co. deputy as he was leaving the apartment building, and was taken into custody without incident.

When officers entered the home to interview the victim, they noted “several ax marks” on a table near the front door and on the baby’s crib. A ceiling fan was also badly damaged during the attack.

Police say the woman’s daughter was home during the incident. No injuries were reported.

Winch was previously convicted of disorderly conduct and bail-jumping when he also used an ax to break a different woman’s car windows in August of 2015. Following that conviction, he was sentenced to 12 months probation.

Winch also was previously charged with stalking and disorderly conduct in 2013. In that case, he pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct but the charge of stalking was dismissed.

Winch is currently behind bars at the Portage Co. Jail. His next court date was not immediately known.