A Menahga man is charged with assault, terroristic threats and domestic assault after allegedly threatening his fiancee with a gun.
At about 2:45 a.m. on March 23, officers responded to a domestic call in Menahga. A woman said her fiance, Stephen Charles Leritz, 39, allegedly threatened her with a gun, according to court reports. She said he pointed a gun at her and threatened to put a bullet in her head, and she was afraid. There were children in the home at the time of the alleged incident.
A 15-year-old who was at the home said she was sleeping on the living room floor when Leritz and his fiancee started yelling at each other, according to court reports. The 15-year-old said Leritz threw water at his fiancee and the girl told him not to do that. He then raised his fists at the girl, as if he would strike her, she said. She saw him push his fiancee against the couch and point the handgun at her.
Leritz is charged with:
- Second-degree assault -- dangerous weapon, a felony, with a maximum penalty of 10 years and a $10,000 fine.
- Terroristic threats -- reckless disregard risk, a felony, with a maximum penalty of five years and a $10,000 fine.
- Domestic assault -- firearms, a gross misdemeanor, with a maximum penalty of one year and a $3,000 fine.
- Domestic assault -- causing fear, a misdemeanor, with a maximum penalty of 90 years in prison and a $1,000 fine.
