New Ulm man faces stalking, harassment charges

Jun. 28—The Free Press

ST. PETER — A New Ulm man is accused of stalking and harassing a woman in rural Nicollet County.

Joseph Thomas Rewitzer, 31, was charged with felony stalking, two felonies for harassment, a gross misdemeanor for harassment and a misdemeanor for disorderly conduct Friday in Nicollet County District Court.

A woman called the Nicollet County Sheriff's Office on Thursday to report Rewitzer had driven to her residence and shouted profanities at her, according to a criminal complaint. She had called in to report similar conduct three times over about a one-month period.

During the reported incident Thursday, the woman's children were outside when he parked across the street and started screaming profanities. The woman said she had multiple recordings of his behavior, and he was usually "shirtless, shoeless and waving a large stick" when he acted that way.

She also accused Rewitzer of sending her disturbing messages. After she blocked his phone number and social media accounts, he reportedly approached acquaintances of hers in New Ulm and told them to relay threats to her.

The threats allegedly included telling her to "watch her back" and that "he's coming for her in her sleep."

Rewitzer has previous convictions on his record between 2016 and 2018, according to the complaint, including making violent threats, stalking and third-degree assault in Brown County and fifth-degree assault in Sibley County.

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