Stearns County Man Charged With Threatening Utility Workers

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- A central Minnesota man faces a felony charge of making threats of violence after he allegedly damaged an electric utility truck with the worker inside.

It happened on Monday when the Stearns County Sheriff's responded to an assault complaint in the 9100 block of Ivy Road in St. Joseph Township.

According to the criminal complaint, a worker with an electrical company was contracted by Xcel Energy to update the gas meters in the area.

The worker said a man walked up to his truck, was yelling, and began hitting the hood, mirrors, and driver's side door with a metal bar.

Authorities were able to identify the man as 66-year-old Robert Alan Anderson.

Through their investigation, the sheriff's office learned that Anderson had confronted a female employee of Xcel Energy who had previously been checking on the gas meters in the neighborhood and yelled at her to get off his property. Another worker said Anderson had also threatened him over the phone that if anyone else showed up, he would take a chain and whip them and also threatened to blow them up with fireworks.

Authorities used a search warrant to arrest Anderson who also allegedly yelled at them to get off his property.

Deputies say they found three metal crowbars and fireworks in his home.