GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A De Pere man is charged with child abuse after allegedly choking his stepdaughter earlier this week.
47-year-old Daniel J. Lindsley is facing a charge of child abuse-high probability/great harm and disorderly conduct.
According to the criminal complaint, De Pere police were called to a home early Tuesday morning for a, “Father currently strangling his daughter within the home.”
Officers arrived to find a 16-year-old girl who said her stepfather, “The one who assaulted her had just left in a car. She stated she did not know where he was heading to and that her mother who was also at the home was no longer there.”
The complaint states that the girl said on Monday around 5 p.m., she had gotten into a verbal argument with her stepfather after already arguing with her sister. Lindsley, “Came in and told them all to shut up. She stated Daniel kept yelling at them to shut up. Then Daniel got in her face yelling at her to stop arguing with her sister. Daniel then took off his glasses and kept yelling in her face. She stated that she pushed him away from her and went into her room.”
She then told police that she put on her shoes and went for a walk to cool down. She came back home around 9:30 p.m. and everything seemed fine. Then around midnight, her two sisters got hungry so they made brownies. She said her mom got home around the same time as they were making brownies, and then began yelling at her about her argument with Lindsley.
Lindsley then came into the kitchen, according to the complaint, and the victim, “asked him how it feels to break up a family. He said it feels good. She stated she pushed him because he was too close to her face. He took his glasses off and told her to hit him. She said he was very close to her so she pushed him back away from her. She stated Daniel then swung at her with his left hand and hit the right side of her jaw. She stated it hurt and she felt like it broke.”
The victim then said she swung back at him and as she was, “Trying to get away, Daniel then grabbed her from behind and had his right arm under her chin. She stated it felt like she was being choked and it was difficult to breathe. She was trying to pull his arms off of her. She said Daniel just kept squeezing on her neck. She was yelling for help and one of her sisters came into the kitchen and tried to pull Daniel’s arms off of her. Daniel eventually let go and the victim fell to the ground. She said she was hurt and had trouble breathing.”
The complaint states after that, “Her mom was then yelling at Daniel saying she couldn’t believe he was choking her daughter. The victim went to her room and Daniel left the house with her mother.”
Officers tracked down Lindsley and the girl’s mom at a De Pere bar. When they arrived back at the house, one officer questioned Lindsley about what happened.
According to the complaint, “He stated he got into an argument with the girl because onions were in her supper. He stated she flipped out regarding the onions in her supper. He stated she also flipped out because she was missing a shirt that her sister had borrowed. Daniel stated the two girls were arguing all evening and day and he kept yelling at them to stop. He stated he left to cool down and then the police were called.”
After officers read Lindsley the account his stepdaughter gave them, “Daniel once again gave the statement about arguing with the victim over her dinner and the arguments between the two girls. Daniel stated that she started to argue again around 9 p.m. and he told them to stop arguing. He stated he told them to stop and he was not going to deal with fighting. Daniel stated they continued to argue for over an hour. Daniel stated he thought everything was fine and the girls were making brownies and then another fight started.”
Lindsley told officers he didn’t know what the new argument was about and that his wife got home around midnight and the argument continued.
Per the complaint, “Daniel stated he told his wife to deal with it and he went outside. Daniel stated he came back inside because the fighting did not stop. He then got his key to the car. Daniel stated the girl got in his face about three inches in front. Daniel stated he walked her away from him. Daniel described putting his open hands by her neck and shoulder blades in front of her and walked her away from him. Daniel stated he walked outside again and left in his car.”
Lindsley told police he drove to the east side of Green Bay near Walmart and then back to De Pere. He then arrived home and ran into police at the bar when he went to pick up his wife who was there. The complaint states that this statement contradicted his earlier statement that his wife was already home.
Authorities say the mom didn’t witness any of the incident because she was at work and refused to give a statement.
The complaint states that the victim’s 15-year-old sister told police that, “Between 11 and 11:30 p.m. she was in her room and heard her sister yelling ‘Help.’ She ran into the kitchen and observed Daniel choking her in a choke hold. She attempted numerous times to pull Daniel off of her, but each time she tried Daniel squeezed harder around the victim’s neck. She stated that her sister’s face was turning red. She stated she finally got between Daniel and her sister and got Daniel to let go of her. She turned away for a split second and Daniel grabbed her sister’s wrists. Daniel then swung at her sister with a closed fist but missed.”
The victim’s sister then said that she, “Told Daniel to leave and that she did not feel safe with him there. Their mother entered the kitchen and confronted Daniel about choking the girl. Daniel stated, ‘I didn’t choke her, and if I did, she would have deserved it.’”
Lindsley is due back in Brown County Circuit Court for an adjourned initial appearance February 17. If convicted of all charges, Lindsley faces more than 12 years in prison.
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