Home » Courts » Two charged with deer shining

Two charged with deer shining

Suspect accused of shooting fawn from truck

Michael D. Dombrowski, 50, Amherst Junction, is charged with felon in possession of a firearm, using a firearm while intoxicated, resisting a game warden, illegal shining of deer and hunting without a license.

Melanie J. Anderson, 38, Amherst Junction, is charged with felony bail jumping, operating while revoked, illegal shining of deer and resisting a game warden as party to a crime.

On Nov. 2, Department of Natural Resources wardens Mark Schraufnagel and Jonathan Kaiser were patrolling for shining activity near Iola.

At approximately 10:30 p.m., they saw a pickup truck eastbound on Trout Creek Road.

After they heard a single gunshot, the pickup turned around, drove west on Trout Creek Road, then turned north on Wasrud Road.

The wardens followed the truck with their vehicle’s lights off.

When the pickup later came back toward them on Wasrud Road, Kaiser activated their lights and stopped the pickup.

According to the criminal complaint, Anderson was driving the vehicle.

A .22-caliber rifle leaned against the front passenger’s seat and floor. An open can of beer was in the front passenger’s cup holder.

Dombrowski allegedly shot a doe fawn through the front driver’s side window while leaning across Anderson.

Anderson dropped him off near a field, where the wardens found him.

However, Dombrowski reportedly fled when the wardens ordered him to walk back to the road.

The wardens went to Dombrowski and Anderson’s home.

Anderson initially denied Dombrowski was there, but later admitted he was when a Portage County deputy arrived, the complaint says.

A blood test indicated Dombrowski had a .140 blood-alcohol concentration.

Dombrowski was convicted in Portage County on Feb. 10, 2015, of a fourth OWI with a juvenile passenger.

Anderson was convicted in Portage County on Nov. 20, 2016, of a third OWI.

She was also convicted on two counts of felony child abuse on Nov. 5, 2019, in Portage County, and placed on five years of probation.

They are both summoned to appear in Waupaca County Circuit Court on the deer shining charges on Jan. 7.

Scroll to Top