Eric Schuppe punched his fiancée's 16-year-old son so hard in the face that he knocked one of his teeth loose and opened up a gash in his lip, a criminal complaint says.
Schuppe, 37, was charged Friday, Jan. 29, in Waukesha County Circuit Court with physical abuse of a child and intentionally causing bodily harm, disorderly conduct, possession of THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) and possession of drug paraphernalia. He faces up to about 10 years behind bars and $21,500 in fines, if convicted.
According to the complaint, Schuppe was charged after his fiancée and her son called police about 12:15 a.m. that day to report the incident. Both of them were standing outside, in 18-degree weather, without shoes or jackets when police arrived.
Schuppe's fiancée and her son, who will not be named to protect his identity, ran outside their home in the 1600 block of Haymarket Road in fear of Schuppe, the complaint said. Earlier in the night, Schuppe had reportedly flown into a rage following an argument with his fiancée.
Argument over crack
The couple had been out at a local bar that night, and the argument erupted on their drive home, according to the complaint.
The complaint alleges that Schuppe, who has a criminal record, has been a drug addict for some time and "became enraged" with his fiancée when she declined to drive him to Milwaukee to buy crack.
She told police in the complaint that Schuppe, when they got home, took out his anger several household items then stormed into her son's room, where the woman was laying down, screaming profanities.
The victim said in the complaint that he had ignored the argument between his mother and Schuppe until Schuppe came into his room and turned on all of the lights. The teenager sat up in his bed and that's when Schuppe punched him, according to the complaint.
Both the victim and his mother fled the home after the punch was thrown, the complaint says, but left in such a hurry they did not have time to put on shoes or coats.
Checkered past
Domestic incidents between Schuppe and his fiancée have occurred in the past, the victim said in the complaint, but had not been reported.
According to court records, Schuppe has also had previous encounters with law enforcement and has three prior convictions — one for third-degree sexual assault — on his record.
His fiancée told police in the complaint that Schuppe is on the state's sex offender registry and that she "did not want him to get into trouble."
According to a separate criminal complaint, Schuppe raped an ex-girlfriend in July 2004 and was at the time found to be in possession of marijuana and numerous items of related paraphernalia. He was convicted for those crimes later the same year.
Two years later, in 2006, Schuppe was convicted of resisting or obstructing an officer after he ran away from a police officer during a traffic stop.
Police reportedly found marijuana and related paraphernalia inside the Haymarket Road home during the Jan. 29 incident, the complaint says.
Next hearing
Court records indicate that Schuppe was released Monday, Feb. 1, after posting a $1,000 cash bond and a $4,000 signature bond. He was ordered to maintain absolute sobriety and is prohibited from having any contact with the victim or her son.
His next court hearing is scheduled for Feb. 15.