Man pleads not guilty to stalking, strangulation and more
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IDAHO FALLS – A Shelley man has pleaded not guilty to all charges after allegedly breaking into a woman’s home who had a protection order against him, strangling her and threatening to shoot her.
Michael John Eatinger, 47, pleaded not guilty to felony attempted strangulation, felony first-degree stalking, misdemeanor battery, misdemeanor reckless driving, and four violations of no contact orders and domestic violence protection orders.
An Idaho Falls Police officer was called on May 7 to a house regarding a civil protection order violation.
The woman stated Eatinger, who is not legally allowed to go near her, came to her home, went inside without her permission and assaulted her.
The woman told officers that Eatinger broke into her house because he was looking for a man he believed was there.
She said she tried to stop him and that’s when Eatinger grabbed her by her neck and threw her up against the wall and attempted to strangle her. She told officers she could not breathe, and that Eatinger then slapped her across the face.
She also said Eatinger threw her to the ground and threatened to shoot her. She said she was afraid he was going to come back and kill her.
She showed police doorbell footage of him on her property at 3 a.m. knocking on her window, and said that he also allegedly broke the security camera on her back porch.
The victim said Eatinger constantly calls and texts her from multiple numbers. He has also hidden in her neighbor’s yard with night vision goggles and watched her house.
Officers were again called to the house the next day, where they saw Eatinger driving near the home. He was then arrested for violation of a domestic violence protection order.
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On May 16, an Idaho Falls Police officer spoke to the same woman, who reported that Eatinger had sent her several text messages and was driving by her house again, from 1 a.m. to about 7 a.m.
In the text messages, he allegedly threatened the victim by saying he would put her current boyfriend in the hospital, and saying he was close to her home and that she should turn off her security cameras.
The victim said she was afraid of Eatinger and the fact he wouldn’t leave her alone.
Though Eatinger has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.
A jury trial is set for November 14. If convicted, Eatinger could face up to or more than 20 years in prison.