Manuel Hoffman A ….

Manuel

Hoffman

A 25-year-old Wausau man faces charges of attempted homicide, strangulation, false imprisonment, car theft and methamphetamine possession following a Dec. 14, 2019, incident in the town of Johnson.

The Marathon County Sheriff’s Department reports Manuel Hoffman forced Deana Schaefer, 20, Wausau, a girl he had dated up to two weeks prior, into a red SUV in Wausau and started driving her to Chippewa Falls on STH 29 at speeds between 110 and 120 miles per hour.

According to the report, Hoffman drove between a truck and a car in both lanes of STH 29, ignoring pleas from Schaefer to let her out of the speeding vehicle. Hoffman hit a slippery spot on the highway and lost control of his vehicle. As the vehicle slid, Hoffman unlatched Schaefer’s seatbelt and punched her in the left side of her jaw with a closed fist.

The report states Schaefer exited the vehicle, but, falling face down in deep snow, was caught by Hoffman. He punched Schaefer four to five times in the head and then strangled her so that she lost consciousness.

At this point, the report continues, Connie Zuleger, 53, town of Eau Pleine, stopped at the crash scene in a Chevrolet Traverse to offer assistance, but wound up scrambling back to her vehicle when Hoffman started running at her. She was not able to lock her doors fast enough and Hoffman entered the car in the back seat. Zuleger fled the car and flagged down another driver, Clarence Gollhardt, who called 911.

Hoffman drove the stolen car to the intersection of STH 29 and CTH F, where he rolled it over in the median.

Police arrived at the scene, brandishing a handgun and an AR-15. Hoffman, found bleeding in the driver’s seat and holding a shoe in one hand, was unresponsive, but resisted arrest, displaying unusual strength. After being dragged out of the vehicle, Hoffman held tight to a brake cable until he was tased for five seconds following a warning. A county deputy suffered a broken bone in his hand while attempting to handcuff Hoffman.

Police located 2.3 grams of methamphetamine in Hoffman’s wallet. A police officer said he thought Hoffman was under the influence of a stimulant. Taken to Apirus Wausau Hospital, Hoffman was asleep while his heart rate was a steady 122-126 beats per minute and he had rigid muscle tone.

At a Feb. 12 preliminary hearing, Marathon County Circuit Court Judge Michael Moran bound Hoffman over for trial to face eight felony charges and three misdemeanor charges.