Orange City, Iowa — A Brandon, South Dakota woman was sentenced in Sioux County District Court Wednesday morning for her role in a pair of drive-by shootings in northwest Iowa.
Sioux County Attorney Thomas Kunstle says that 51-year old Artis Kattenberg was sentenced for the crimes of Criminal Mischief, and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. On Monday of this week Kattenberg was also sentenced in Lyon County District Court for the separate crimes of Criminal Mischief and Aiding and Abetting the Reckless Use of a Firearm. Kunstle and Lyon County Attorney Shayne Mayer, prosecuted the cases on behalf of the State of Iowa.
Kunstle says the cases began on December 24, 2017, after which damage was done to a residence by a gun being fired toward and into a Sioux County residence. The home was not occupied at the time of the shooting, but a separate investigation revealed a second shooting was also done to a Lyon County residence. Multiple agencies, coordinating their investigative efforts, revealed increasingly bizarre behavior from Kattenberg and her son, which included stockpiling firearms and making threatening comments.
Kattenberg was taken into South Dakota custody on December 27, 2017, after which she spent 293 days in the Minnehaha County jail, and received a 7-year suspended prison sentence for Abuse or Cruelty to a Minor, with the condition she comply with all recommendations for mental health treatment. Coordinating law enforcement agencies appear to have prevented an incident with multiple victims of firearm-related violence, according to Kunstle.
In Iowa, Kunstle says Kattenberg received a second 7-year suspended prison sentence, where she is prohibited from having any contact with the Netherlands Reformed Church in Rock Valley and the victims. She must also comply with any mental health recommendations. As a result of her felony convictions in South Dakota and Iowa, Kattenberg is prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms.
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Original post 12:20 pm January 8, 2019
Rock Rapids, Iowa — The woman, who along with her juvenile son was accused of drive-by shooting incidents in Sioux and Lyon counties over a year ago has been sentenced in Lyon County.
Court records indicate 51-year-old Artis Kattenberg was charged with Second Degree Criminal Mischief and Reckless Use of a Firearm, Causing Property Damage.
Authorities say the charges stemmed from a joint investigation between the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Rock Valley Police Department, Brandon South Dakota Police Department, Minnehaha County South Dakota Sheriff’s Office,The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Authorities say their investigation revealed that shots had been fired into a residence in Lyon County on December 17th, 2017, and into a Sioux County residence sometime before December 25th. Authorities say nobody was home at either residence when the shooting incidents took place.
According to law enforcement officials, the victims are both members of the Netherlands Reformed Church in Rock Valley, and the shootings are believed to be in retaliation after Kattenberg and her son were reportedly banned from the church.
Authorities say they believe the juvenile fired the weapon in both incidents.
Kattenberg entered an Alford plea to the Lyon County charges. A defendant entering an Alford Plea maintains they are innocent of the charges, but admits that the prosecution has sufficient evidence to obtain a conviction if the case goes to court. For sentencing purposes, an Alford plea is a guilty plea.
On the second-degree criminal mischief charge, Kattenberg was sentenced to a five-year suspended prison term, which is to run consecutively with any prison time received in the Sioux County case, a suspended $750 fine, and two years’ probation. She must also submit a DNA sample.
On the reckless use of a firearm charge, she was sentenced to a suspended $625 fine, a year of probation (to be served at the same time as the probation in the other Lyon County count), and a suspended 365-day jail term, to run consecutively after the suspended prison term from the other Lyon County count.
Kattenberg also entered an Alford plea to her Sioux County charges of third-degree criminal mischief and reckless use of a firearm. A plea agreement has been filed in that case, but no sentence has been entered. Her next court date in Sioux County is February 4th.
Kattenberg was charged with child abuse in South Dakota. She pleaded “no contest” and was sentenced to a seven-year suspended prison term and five years of probation, with credit for time served. Her attorney said that Kattenberg was suffering from a mental illness at the time and shouldn’t be held criminally responsible.
