Authorities say a 35-year-old woman from Maryland was arrested Sunday after allegedly trying to drown her 15-year-old daughter during a confrontation on West Battle Lake, northeast of the town of Battle Lake. Deputies were dispatched around 4:19 p.m., and the teen was taken to Lake Region Hospital in Fergus Falls with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The woman was taken into custody on multiple felony counts, including domestic assault, domestic assault by strangulation and second-degree attempted murder. The case remains under investigation.
According to KNSI, the Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to the West Battle Lake incident and were assisted by the Battle Lake Police Department, Battle Lake Rescue and Henning Ambulance. The outlet reports the suspect is a 35-year-old woman from Baltimore, Maryland. Investigators have not released her name or booking information.
What officials say
The sheriff's office told investigators that initial reports indicated the woman tried to hold the teen underwater during the altercation. Officials say the 15-year-old suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries and that county deputies are actively investigating what happened on the lake.
Charges and next steps
The woman was arrested on suspicion of domestic assault, domestic assault by strangulation and second-degree attempted murder, according to the sheriff's office, as reported by KNSI. Prosecutors are expected to review the investigative files from the sheriff's office before deciding whether to file formal charges. Any filed charges would appear in Otter Tail County court records or in a public statement from the county attorney.
Legal implications
Under Minnesota law, domestic assault by strangulation is defined in Minn. Stat. 609.2247 as a felony that carries a potential penalty of up to three years in prison or a fine. Attempts are addressed in Minn. Stat. 609.17, which generally caps an attempted-crime sentence at half the maximum for the completed offense. Because second-degree murder has a maximum sentence of 40 years under Minn. Stat. 609.19, an attempted second-degree murder conviction can carry a sentence of up to about 20 years under those statutes.
With the victim a minor and the investigation still unfolding, officials have released only limited details and have not publicly named the suspect. The sheriff's office notes that the case is open, and that the arrest and listed counts remain allegations unless and until prosecutors formally charge the woman in court.
