Joseph Niemiec
RACINE, Wis. - A Pleasant Prairie man accused of stabbing his father in Racine on Aug. 12 is now in custody. He was arrested in Nebraska. Prosecutors charged Joseph Niemiec, 18, with one count of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon.
Racine stabbing
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, Racine police responded to a home near 21st and Kentucky shortly before 1 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12.
When officers arrived, they found the victim bleeding and applying pressure to his neck. The first responding officer observed a 1-to-2-inch puncture wound on the left side of the victim's throat.
Remaining alert and able to speak, the victim recounted to police that he had initially been alerted by a sound at his back door, which sounded like an intruder.
Per the complaint, the victim explained that he heard a voice claiming to be his son, Joseph Niemiec, prompting him to open the door and invite him inside.
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Once inside, Joseph asked to talk before excusing himself to use the restroom. Upon returning, he asked for a hug, but instead pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim in the neck, according to the complaint.
The victim said he initially felt what seemed like a punch to his throat, causing him to stumble backward and immediately clamp his hand over the wound, court filings say.
According to the victim, Joseph came at him a second time with a knife, but the victim managed to overpower his hand, take the weapon away, and shove him back.
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The victim then ran to a neighbor's house to call 911, while Joseph fled the scene on foot.
Arrested in Nebraska
Dig deeper:
Nebraska troopers arrested Joseph Niemiec shortly before noon on Aug. 12 following a traffic stop on I-80.
According to the Nebraska State Patrol, authorities received an alert that Niemiec was driving through the state in a Chevrolet Malibu. At approximately 11:45 a.m., a trooper located the vehicle and pulled it over near the Alda interchange (mile marker 304).
Niemiec was identified as the driver and taken into custody on a warrant from Wisconsin. He is currently held in the Hall County Jail awaiting extradition to Wisconsin.
The Nebraska State Patrol is working with the Racine (WI) Police Department on this investigation.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by the Racine County District Attorney's Office, Nebraska State Patrol, and Wisconsin Circuit Court Access.