A man accused of attacking his former landlords in a drunken fit was indicted in a Seward court last week for felony assault. John Michael Luedecke, 44, allegedly assaulted a man and women in their home on Oct. 7 after the couple evicted him from their rental apartment.
Luedecke, who had been staying in the apartment for about a year, told police he had packed up and moved out on Oct. 6, according to a police affidavit filed with the court. The former landlady told police that she found Luedecke sleeping in the apartment without permission the morning after he moved out, and that the two of them had gotten into a heated exchange.
She called police later that afternoon to report a fight between Luedecke and her husband at their home, according to the affidavit.
The couple and a witness told police that a drunken Luedecke had become verbally abusive and violent when he was told to leave the home. During an ensuing altercation, Luedecke allegedly charged and punched his former landlord. The couple told police that the blow knocked the man back into his wife, and the two fell onto a hardwood floor. Both reported pain from the fall, and the woman’s pelvis was later shown to be fractured in several places, according to the affidavit.
The former landlord told police that as the fight continued he was almost overpowered by Luedecke, but was able to grab an anchor chain from his porch and club Luedecke with it, according to the affidavit.
Police reported that when they arrived at the scene they found “a highly intoxicated and hostile” Luedecke restrained on the porch. Luedecke registered a blood alcohol level of .373 at a local emergency room, the affidavit states.
Luedecke was indicted on Feb. 14 on one charge of second-degree assault, a class B felony, and issued a summons to appear before the court. His arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 27.
Reach Erin Thompson at erin.thompson@peninsulaclarion.com
