By Shereen Siewert
A 38-year-old man already facing false imprisonment, victim intimidation and other domestic abuse-related charges is now accused of repeatedly stalking and threatening a different victim, according to court documents.
Police on Jan. 20 responded to a home on Alderson Street after a woman called to report a man who had been stalking her was outside in his vehicle. She identified the man as Justin O’Brien, of Wausau.
O’Brien, who had an outstanding felony warrant from Lincoln County, left before police arrived, but officers located him and arrested him both on the outstanding warrant and a stalking charge.
According to the criminal complaint, the alleged victim told police she met O’Brien in 2012 at a Rothschild store and the two became friends. But then O’Brien allegedly started sending the woman inappropriate messages trying to initiate a personal relationship, court documents state.
Over time, the woman alleges, O’Brien became increasingly obsessed with the idea of a relationship, which caused tension in her own marriage. The woman told police O’Brien tried to ruin her marriage by threatening to tell her husband the two were having an affair.
The woman told police that over the years O’Brien has made threats toward her, her husband and her career, with threats that were increasingly frequent, often using different phone numbers and showing up at her place of employment.
Police reviewed messages on the woman’s phone in which O’Brien allegedly vacillated between saying he loved the woman and calling her “crazy,” a “piece of shit,” and other names, according to court filings. He at one point allegedly threatened to release videos of the woman, though the woman denies the existence of any videos.
“I’m coming (expletive),” O’Brien’s message allegedly states. “You might want to think this through.”
Court records show O’Brien was out on bond at the time of his arrest stemming from a 2018 incident in which a woman reported he pushed her, prevented her from leaving her home and took her cell phone away, allegedly warning her about knowing “what happens to snitches.”
In both instances, the alleged victim told police they feared retribution for reporting the incidents, court documents state.
Charges of stalking and bail jumping were filed Jan. 21 against O’Brien, who was ordered held on a $2,000 bond with the first $500 to be paid in cash. A preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 20.
An arrest warrant in Lincoln County is active for O’Brien as of Jan. 23 for charges of bail jumping and resisting or obstructing an officer.
