A Lake Nebagamon man appeared in Douglas County Circuit Court on Wednesday after allegedly attacking a man with a whiskey bottle the day before.
A probable cause statement was filed against John Raymond Lundberg, 49, who appeared via video from the Douglas County Jail. He faces potential felony counts of substantial battery, aggravated battery and first-degree reckless endangerment, all with a dangerous weapon, according to the statement.
District Attorney Mark Fruehauf told Court Commissioner Rebecca Lovejoy that follow-up was needed, in particular the release of medical records, to better determine the formal charges. Lovejoy found probable cause to believe Lundberg should face charges, set his cash bail at $25,000 and scheduled an initial appearance for next Tuesday.
Lundberg remained in jail as of Wednesday night. The name of the victim, a 47-year-old Duluth man, has not been released.
According to the probable cause statement:
ADVERTISEMENT
Douglas County dispatch received a call from someone who said, "I'm bleeding to death," mumbled "Lundberg" and hung up at about 5:03 a.m. Tuesday. A second call was received, during which the caller said he was bleeding to death and had his throat sliced by John Lundberg.
Deputies were dispatched to the Lundberg home on East Wangerin Road in the village of Lake Nebagamon. They found the victim on his knees on the side of the road covered with blood. Lundberg was arrested when he later returned to the home
Detective Mike Miller with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office noted a large laceration on the victim's left cheek as well as a large contusion on his right arm. The victim said he had been hanging out with Lundberg, sitting at a computer. He said Lundberg came from behind and slit his throat with what he thought was a knife. He fought to get Lundberg off him by kicking and striking, then ran to the garage to call 911. He said they had been drinking and hanging out earlier, and he said he did not know why Lundberg would attack him.
Inside the home, deputies found a broken chair, a large amount of blood on the floor, broken glass strewn about and the neck of a broken liquor bottle. No knife was found.
When the victim was questioned again, he said he thought the defendant hit him with a whiskey bottle because "he really rung my bell." He told the detective he initially had thought his throat had been slit by a knife because of the large amount of blood that had been flowing down his neck and chest.
The victim required nine stitches and was admitted to a Duluth hospital because doctors had discovered bleeding on his brain.
