March 6, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Prosecutor Tim Rutkowski, 989.269.9255
On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, a jury of 8 women and 4 men found Eric George Wensko, 61 of Gagetown guilty of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Felonious Assault) and Weapons—Dangerous Weapon—Carrying with Unlawful Intent, following a one-day jury trial in the 52nd Circuit Court.
The charges arose from an incident on Saturday, July 1, 2023, at the Stacks Market located in Owendale, where Wensko struck the victim several times with a wooden pole. An employee of Stacks called 911 while witnessing the assault on a store security system. On August 9, 2023, Prosecutor Timothy Rutkowski charged Wensko with Felonious Assault and Carrying a Dangerous Weapon with an Unlawful Intent. On October 6, 2023, at the Preliminary Examination hearing, Judge David Herrington bound the defendant over for trial after the victim testified about the assault.
The jury heard testimony from four witnesses, the victim, an employee from the Stacks Market, and two Michigan State Police Troopers who responded to the 911 call. An important piece of evidence was the store security video that showed the assault from start to finish. The victim testified that while in the parking lot at Stacks Market, he saw the defendant pull into the lot. The victim got out of his truck and went to confront the defendant for harassing his mother. While arguing, the defendant pulled out a wooden pole from his car and struck the victim several times. The defendant testified that he struck the victim in self-defense and that he was concerned for his safety.
The jury deliberated for approximately an hour before returning a verdict of guilty as charged. Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney David J. Wallace tried the case and MSP Trooper Dennis Bills was the Officer in Charge.
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon is a four year felony, however, the defendant was also charged as a Habitual Offender 4th, meaning that he had at least three prior felony convictions. Listed in the supplemental information, it indicated that the defendant had at least seven prior felony convictions. That increases the possible maximum sentence to 15 years. Sentencing is scheduled for April 29, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. before the Hon. Gerald M. Prill.
