A Wisconsin man has been charged with killing a mother and injuring her family after allegedly running them over with his car in an act of “vigilante justice.”
According to a criminal complaint released on Monday, Jeffrey Endres, 49, allegedly accelerated in a vehicle toward the family of Dr. Kami Hansen, a well-known local chiropractor, and her family as an act of revenge.
The incident occurred on April 28 at around 6.30 p.m. in Cottage Grove, a Madison, Wisconsin suburb. Hansen, her husband, one of their sons, and the family dog were out walking when Endres allegedly collided with them, according to WMTV.
Hansen was reportedly thrown about 25 to 30 feet from where she was struck. During the incident, she was killed, as was the family’s black pit bull. The husband survived with only a few cuts, but their son needed surgery and suffered a concussion.
He told officers on the scene that he could hear a vehicle “flooring it” toward them. Hansen’s husband claimed the vehicle jumped the curb and struck him and his family.
Several witnesses reportedly told police that they saw the vehicle accelerate toward the family.
Enders reportedly remained at the scene following the crash, telling police that he was “having a bad day” and had “no comment” on the incident. He claimed he lost control of his vehicle while driving to the gas station, but an Uber driver who had been driving near Enders shortly before the crash allegedly told police that claim was false.
“If he says he veered off the road, he is lying to you,” the witness told police. “I saw that vehicle jerk.”
According to Deputy District Attorney William Brown, the fatal crash was not an accident, but rather an act of revenge for a “sensitive crime” allegedly committed by Hansen’s child and Endres’ child. Police did not provide any additional information about what happened.
“It has become clear that this was not an accident. “This was an intentional act by Mr Endres,” Brown told the judge. “This was, as the complaint shows, essentially an act of vigilante justice.”
Police say Endres and Hansen were neighbors until recently.
Hansen’s husband admitted that allegations about the “sensitive crime” were brought forward in late March.
Endres reportedly sought more information and filed a records request on April 23 for any police reports related to the alleged incident.
He received a redacted police report about the incident on April 28, just three hours before the fatal crash.
Endres is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, and animal mistreatment resulting in death.
On Monday, his bond was set at $1 million in Dane County court.
If he posts bond, he will be prohibited from contacting any members of the Hansen family and from entering Cottage Grove. He would also not be permitted to consume alcohol.
Enders was forced to take a mugshot by police shortly after the incident, despite the fact that his face was still bruised and bloodshot.
The preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 14. If convicted of intentional homicide, Endres could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.