A 40-year-old La Crosse man is being held in La Crosse County Jail on a $5,000 bond after police responded Aug. 29 to a domestic call at a residence described as “filthy and uninhabitable.”
Troy C. Hanson was charged in La Crosse County Circuit Court with felony counts of arson to a building without the owner’s consent, criminal damage to property, child abuse/intentionally causing harm, false imprisonment, fleeing an officer and two counts of child neglect(two counts) as well as a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.
Hanson
According to the criminal complaint, police were called to a Winneshiek Road residence, where a witness said a 5-year-old child, later identified as “Victim T,” was standing on the front porch screaming, “Daddy, help me.” The witness was concerned that the child had been up all night.
Police approached the child, who told police that Hanson had hit him. The complaint says a woman, identified as “Victim A,” then exited the residence and got into a truck. A short time later, Hanson exited with a 1-year-old child identified as “Victim C.”
People are also reading…
The complaint says police asked Hanson to put the child down. Hanson refused and reportedly told police if they attempted to take the child from him, he would throw the child on the ground and that police would have “murder on (their) hands.”
Police determined that forcibly removing the child would endanger the child’s safety. Hanson then got into the truck, and Victim A drove away, leaving behind Victim T alone at the residence. Police entered the residence and observed squalid conditions with food splattered on the walls and ceiling and raw meat on the floor. Police also found multiple burn marks throughout the residence.
Police contacted the La Crosse Housing Authority, which estimated the damage at $8,000. The residence was determined to be unfit for human occupancy and condemned.
The truck was located by police a short time later traveling on the 1600 block of St. James St. The complaint says Hanson was driving the vehicle and failed to pull over. Police terminated the pursuit for safety reasons.
Onalaska police located Hanson and the other victims a short time later on Oak Forest Drive. Police were able to apprehend Hanson without incident. Victim A reportedly told police that Hanson had been using methamphetamine and “went nuts the last couple of days.” She said the residence was clean and orderly prior to Hanson’s 2-day rampage.
The complaint says Hanson was rational and cooperative with police. When police asked Hanson why he fled his residence, he reportedly said, “Look at me, do I look like the same person?”
Hanson was bound over for trial during a Sept. 5 preliminary hearing. His next court date is a pre-trial conference set for Sept. 29.
The Supreme Court announced it would weigh in on a ruling that could allow domestic abusers to keep their guns in its next session. CNN’s Josh Campbell speaks with an abuse victim with a grim outlook on what will happen if the justices side with abusers.
————————————————
