Five and a half years in bulldozer case

A man who drove a bulldozer into a house in the Calder area will be in prison for the next four years.

Ronald Fatteicher, 60, pleaded guilty to attempted murder after driving a bulldozer into the home of his daughter-in-law in July of 2017. His rampage destroyed the home, a trailer and an SUV. His daughter-in-law, along with a guest in the home, were able to escape unharmed before the bulldozer destroyed the home.

Following the incident, Fatteicher took a truck from the property, and was chased by her husband. He hit the back of the truck causing Fatteicher to spin out, at which point he dragged Fatteicher out of the truck and had him held down by a relative as they waited for police to arrive on the scene. Fatteicher was bleeding at the time, though it was unclear when the injury occurred.

Fatteicher received a sentence of five and a half years, with one and a half years credit for time served. He is also the subject of a mandatory DNA order as well as a weapons prohibition upon release.

The incident was the end of an acrimonious divorce between Fatteicher and his ex-wife. At the conclusion of sentencing, Fatteicher accused his son and daughter-in-law of abusing him, blaming them for a shoulder injury.

During sentencing, Judge Donna Taylor said it was clear that this family was in a very sad situation, but that Fatteicher’s actions were “dangerous to an incredible degree” and hopes that the sentence serves as a lesson that “this is not a way society allows people to behave.”