23-year-old pleads guilty to assault

Published 12:00am Tuesday, March 25, 2003
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Walters admitted in court to physically assaulting his estranged wife, Teresa, on Dec. 12, 2002. He will likely face jail time instead of prison due to a plea agreement with the Otter Tail County Attorney’s Office. &uot;I’m very pleased with it (plea agreement) and that’s what I wanted to happen,&uot; said Teresa. Walters picked Teresa up after work and wouldn’t allow her to get out of his van. Walters punched her as he was driving out of Fergus Falls. Teresa tried to crash the van and also tried jumping out, but Walters pulled her back in by the hair. He also threatened her with a knife. Teresa managed to jump from the moving van by Big Chief Truck Stop outside of Fergus Falls, and a passerby with a pit bull stopped to help her. Walters fled and was later found hiding in the basement of a west side Fergus Falls residence. If Walters would have been convicted of the kidnapping charge, he would have faced a penalty of 40 years in prison and/or a $50,000 fine. The plea agreement calls for a nine-month Otter Tail County jail sentence and a fine to be determined by the court. Walters will also have to pay an undetermined amount of restitution to the victim and complete the Minnesota Teen Challenge Program, a faith-based alcohol and chemical dependency program. jim.sturgeon@fergusfallsjournal.com

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