San Rafael Man Pleads Guilty to Domestic Violence At Yosemite

Photo by: BJ Hansen

Sonora, CA – A San Rafael man has admitted to assaulting his wife during an argument while visiting Yosemite National Park.

U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced that 59-year-old Stefan Niels Weiste Kirkeby pleaded guilty to domestic violence within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. The attack on the night of August 4th of last year had park officials seeking the public’s help as they looked for additional witnesses to the crime, as reported here.

Court documents detailed that other park visitors had to intervene after Kirkeby and his wife got into an argument where he was threatening to kill her and then kill himself, according to witnesses. His wife reported he forcibly grabbed her wrist, and they both fell to the ground. She sustained bruising, pain in her wrist, and scratches.

Kirkeby is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26, 2023. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Talbert noted, “The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.”