NIC MIU ANDREW DITTMAN INTERVIEW WITH OWEN PELOQUIN Dittman: sorry about that, got a lot going on. My name is Andrew, I’m an investigator with the sheriff’s office. My understanding is that you were the one that called mom. Owen: mhmm Dittman: ok. Dad, what is your first name dad. Tim: tim Dittman: Tim Tim: and this is his mom Tracy Dittman: it’s Timothy? Tim: yeah dittman: what’s your full middle name? Tim: James. Peliquin p-e-l-o-q-u-i-n Diitman: uh date of birth Tim: 5/21/69 Dittman: good phone number for you sir Tim: 651 Dittman: yep Tim: 208 Dittman: yep Tim: 0631 Dittman: 0631 and what’s a good address Tim: 311 Dittman: yep Tim: 3rd street, Hudson, WI 54016 Dittman: and mom Tracy: tracy Dittman: t-r Tracy: t-r-a-c-y Lynn. L-y-n-n Peloquin. It’s the same Dittman: ok Tracy: phone number or Dittman: I’ll take your date of birth Tracy: 8/19/69 Dittman: good phone number Tracy: [PHONE NUMBER REDACTED] and our address is different where he’s with me so you might need this one Dittman: yeah go ahead with that Tracy:13972 W Oakgreen Circle South in afton Diitman: what’s the zip for Afton Tracy: 55001 Dittman: so dad. And your first name bud Owen: Owen. Peloquin Tim: Lee Dittman: Lee. L-e-e. Owen: yeah. Peloquin Dittman: date of birth Owen: 12/27/04. 04 Dittman: and do you have a good phone number. A cell phone preferably Owen: [PHONE NUMBER REDACTED] Dittman: and is that your Tracy: with mom Owen: yep Dittman: alright. So let’s just start from square one Owen: so we were just Dittman: so this morning, before we even get into that um what was the plan for today. Owen: we were just all going to wake up and meet at the high school at 11:30 and drive together to Apple River Dittman: when you say high school, Still water? Owen: yeah [inaudible over phone ringing] Dittman: I apologize [takes phone call] End of video interview resumes in next video Dittman: alright sorry about that. So you were going to meet this morning with the group of friends. How many of you guys went today Owen: uh 6 Dittman: six of you Owen: wait, me [inaudible] Isaac, Alex, Brian, Landon yeah six Tim: did you include yourself Owen: seven including myself Dittman: what time did you guys meet at the high school Owen: 11:30 11:40 maybe Dittman: have any of you guys been down the Apple river before Owen: yeah they all went last year Dittman: ok Owen: and we were just going to go again this year Dittman: alright. So you guys meet roughly around 11:30 or 11:40 at the high school. Do you guys all hop in a vehicle and go over there? Owen: yep Dittman: and who’s vehicle was that Owen: it was Alex Vang. Dittman: ok Owen: Vang v-a-n-g. if you want his middle name its coo Dittman: that’s alright I’ll take to him. So you hop in his vehicle, you head over, then where do you go Owen: we just head straight to the Apple River Tim: which location Dittman: yeah there’s River’s edge- Owen: yeah river’s edge that’s where we got the tubes Dittman: ok Tim: he was asking which location [inaudible] Owen: looked like river’s edge I’m not absolutely positive. Pretty sure Dittman: alright so take me-you get to river’s edge what do you guys do at river’s edge Owen: we get our tubes, we head down the river, hop in our tubes Dittman: step back here Tim: [inaudible] Dittman: no it’s all good Owen: go down the river, have a good time just where to everything happened. That guy came up to us. We talked to him first and then went on with our business then he came up to us again and he being weird, and we were like alright get away from us and then he go really close to us was like standing over top of us almost we all get out of our tubes and we were like alright get this pedophile away from us. Dittman: was he with a group of people Owen: no he was completely by himself Dittman: by himself Owen: completely by himself. It was one guy unless-cause I don’t know how he stabbed 5 people in manner of time. That’s the only thing that confuses me but I only saw him Dittman: so let me. I’m going to slow you down a little bit ok. So you guys are floating down Apple River, you get your tubes. Where did you guys put your tubes in at Owen: where’d we put our tubes at? Dittman: yeah where’d you guys get in the river at Tracy: get in the river the first time Owen: oh well wherever they had us Dittman: was it in the River’s edge area like the Owen: yeah they just had us walk down from their tubes we walked like a football field or two this way Dittman: so you guys parked the van-is it a van Owen: yeah it’s parked Dittman: okay so you park the van there, you guys get your tubes, what does it even cost you to go down the river Owen: $20 each. $20 each tube Dittman: ok Owen: and then we had 2 more coolers that were $20 Dittman: ok Owen: for food and stuff Dittman: so there’s 7 people including yourself. At what point do you guys see this guy. Owen: at least an hour and a half two hours into it Dittman: into it Owen: mm-hmm Dittman: ok Owen: I mean I never got to see where the end was but I assume it’s closer to the end cause we were starting to get closer to the end Dittman: ok so about an hour and half /two hours into it, this guy how does it- I mean does he walk up to you guys, float up to you guys? Owen: he was-so we were just looking at this guy he- Tracy: were you stopped or floating when you saw the guy Owen: we were floating and then we look at him and he was just standing completely by himself with some goggles on and then we were like what are you doing and he said oh I’m looking for a phone Dittman: ok Owen: then we were like alright and we get on with our business and then he comes back up to us later and he was just standing over us really weird Tracy: further down the river? He followed you? Owen: I mean it was only like 50 yards down the river Tracy: so you guys kept floating Owen: yeah Tracy: he’s on the river bank Owen: yeah Tracy: he walked Owen: not on the river bank, he was in the river Tracy: he was in the river floating too? Dittman: did he have a tube or was he just on Owen: he was just on feet with goggles on his forehead and a snorkel and then he ended up losing those. And then he walked back after when he or when we saw him the second time he was just standing over us weirdly and um Dittman: were you guys stopped at that pointor were you guys still floating Owen: I think we stopped ourselves at that point Dittman: so he comes back over to you and what does he say to you Owen: I have no idea Dittman: was he like confrontational with you guys or Owen: no Dittman: how would you describe his behavior Owen: disgusting. Just looking at his face he was just looking really weirdly and sketchily and then we were like help get this guy away from us. We were sketched out cause he was standing right over top of us, we were all hop out of our tubes, this guy is sketchy then we back away and then everybody starts coming over to us and then that’s when a girl came up to him and then he punched that girl in the face Dittman: okay Owen: and then just, some guy got stabbed I saw his guts fall out of his stomach and then I look over and saw my friend just falling backwards and then I see blood everywhere and then I ran over to him and I just, I was just holding him and holding pressure on the wound as long as I could and then there was a nurse that came Dittman: ok Owen: and she took over. But I was just sitting there screaming Dittman: but as far as you’re aware. He was by himself Owen: he was by himself Dittman: he was not tubing Owen: no Dittman: he was just walking in the river Owen: he was just walking in the river Dittman: and he said he was looking for his cellphone Owen: yeah something like that Dittman: and you said he had a pair of goggles on his head Owen: he had a pair of goggles on his head but when he was talking to us Dittman: can you just give me a second. Can you describe those goggles Owen: they were a snorkel. He had a snorkel just clear and they were blue clear-ish goggles but he lost those while we were um talking to him he-those end up falling off his end and then he was kinda pissed about that and he was just acting weird Dittman: did he seem like he was impaired or under the influence of something Owen: he was definitely on something I mean he had to have been, let’s be real Dittman: I guess when I say impaired it could be alcohol or drugs Owen: I think it was drugs unless he just really drug. He was looking just disgusting in his face that’s why wanted to avoid him Dittman: like when you say disgusting do you mean looking through you guys like the 1000 yard stare Owen: yeah almost yeah Dittman: and what did you guys say to him Owen: we were just like get away from us pedophile just this guy’s a pedophile get away Tim: Jowan has Owen: Jowan has all of it on video Dittman: and is he here Owen: and he gave it to, he gave it to a police officer. Tim: [inaudible overlap] Dittman: he gave it to an investigator Owen: he gave it to a police officer Dittman: ok Owen: all of the conversation, but I don’t think any of the stabbing is on video Tim: [inaudible overlap] what happened and I’m not sure one of the officers on site took his phone Owen: yeah Dittman: okay Tim: took that information Dittman: alright and I have to apologize you’ll have to bear with me I got called out to this so I’m just trying to go from square one Tim: nope we understand Dittman: just try to figure this out. Obviously there’s a lot of information we’re trying to figure out Owen and Tim: [inaudible overlap] Dittman: right Tracy: were you guys calling him-saying get away from us pedophile or other people were calling him Owen: we were calling him pedophile cause he was just looking at us disgusting and I hated it Dittman: did he ever say anything to you guys Owen: he might have Dittman: I mean do you recall him saying anything Own: I don’t I really couldn’t even tell you I would ask someone else that Dittman: you gotta take off? Person: yeah Dittman: no that’s fine Person: thank you so much Dittman: you’re good. You don’t recall anything Owen: I think he might have said something but I don’t know what it would be Tracy: but that should be on the video thing conversation stuff Dittman: and can you give me your best physical description of this guy Owen: I would say he’s bigger. He’s not like tall Dittman: heavy set? Owen: fatter. Heavy gut Tim: how tall do you think he was Dittman: like heavy set? Owen: I would say he about your height Dittman: ok so about 6’2” Owen: then he had a beard he looked kinda like Italian not Italian but like a new York pizza dude like almost like I don’t know Tracy: so dark hair Owen: yeah dark hair not long hair it was like shaved and shorter just a little out Tim: how old do you think her was Owen: about 42-50 Dittman: shorter hair what color hair did have Owen: black hair and beard Dittman: ok Tracy: a full beard like that Owen: a beard like that, but thinner Dittman: full beard Owen: he had some greys Tracy: any jewelry any weird swim trunks, was it swim trunks Dittman: yeah what was he Owen: he had is guy out he was in some kind of shorts Dittman: what kind of swim shorts was he wearing Owen: I think they were black I wasn’t really looking at his swim trunks though Dittman: that’s ok Owen: he had a bunch of gut hair a bunch of hair on his belly Dittman: ok Owen: black hair on his belly Dittman: but you think he was in his 40’s? Owen: had to have been 40’s or 50’s Dittman: ok Owen: had to have been around there he was definitely older. Older than 30 for sure Dittman: do you don’t recall anything that he would have said to you guys or just kinda staring at you guys Owen: yeah just that stare, staring past us Dittman: so a knife gets brought out. Do you see when that get’s brought out or how does this happen? Owen: no I saw his hand like right here and then I was just like I got away and I look back and everything was just everything was already done Dittman: ok. Can you grab some bags for hands and then bring those inside for Kennet then come out and find me when you’re done with that Officer: ok Dittman: alright so did you ever see the knife? Owen: yeah Dittman: you did see it Owen: it was like silver and it kind of had that brownish wood on the handle it was probably about 3 inches long and then it was about that thick it was one of those where it was just like that like that was the blade Dittman: like just a point Owen: yeah Tracy: was it retractable Owen: it was one where you fold it Dittman: oh it was a folding knife ok. So silver blade Owen: it had a clip like that on there Dittman: silver blade, you said what color handle Owen: wood grain kinda brown Tim: light or dark Owen: lighter more like popping kinda wood like a color pop Dittman: like a lighter handle. Ok and how long would you estimate the blade length to be Owen: about 2-3 inches like that long Dittman: well, if you’re showing me that, that’s about at least 3 Tim: 3 inches yeah Dittman: 3-4 inches Owen: I say three, I say three. Dittman: ok and you said it was folding knife? Owen: folding yep. Tim: and you said it had a clip on it so it was probably something he could wear on his belt Owen: no he kept it on his pocket Tim: his pocket ok. Did you see it on his pocket the first time Owen: I saw it on his pocket that’s why I got away. I thought everyone else was away but then I saw guts flying out of this dude’s stomach and then I look over and see Tim: so you saw it on his pocket but then the next time you look over it wasn’t on his pocket Owen: no the next time I saw it, it was in his hand Tim: ok. These are the questions he wants you to tell him Dittman: no that’s alright its all good Tracy: it’s very confusing Tim: yeah we’re trying to figure out the time line and whats happening Tracy: cause what made you have Owen: I mean after he hit the girl is when everyone got on his ass and started punching him Tracy: so were there people on the bank or in the river coming Owen: There were people all around the river just coming in Tracy: ok and then he started getting panicked and doing Owen: cause we screaming get this guy away from us cause he was literally actually scaring us it got to the point where it was weird Tracy: and then you saw him start reaching for his Owen: yeah I saw his hand go like this and then I don’t remember literally Dittman: so when he punched this female in the face, do you guys know who this female is Owen: she got stabbed as well I’m pretty sure Dittman: ok Tim: but he’s asking Dittman: do you know her though, do you know who it is Owen: no the only guy I know is Isaac Shuman Dittman: ok, did you see the knife in his hand when he punched her in the face Owen: no Dittman: ok Owen: it’s possible, I don’t even know how he could have stabbed her, I heard that she got stabbed too I didn’t personally know that Dittman: don’t worry about what you hear I just want to know what you observed, don’t worry about other people and what they saw Owen: alright. Well I just know that 5 people got stabbed and Tim: it’s ok he’s just asking he just wants your perspective. He will get everybody else’s perspective too and that’s the idea. Recreating everything that’s happened Owen: i really can’t believe that Dittman: yep, so how long have you known Isaac for Owen: that’s been my brother Dittman: ok Tim: tell him a time frame Dittman: like how long Tracy: tell him how old you are and then how old is Isaac Owen: we’re both 17 I’ve known him since like 7th grade Dittman: ok Tim: so like 5 years Owen: sure 6 years Tim: ok 5-6 years Dittman: and you guys go to school together? Owen: all of us Dittman: in Stillwater? Owen: Stillwater High School Dittman: you guys going to be seniors? Owen: yep Dittman: this year Owen: yep Dittman: ok. I guess describe Isaac behavior today at all was there anything off with him, did he seem off at all day Owen: no, no Isaac was having a great time, we were all having the best time of our lives we were just enjoying everything. We were all kind of like this is beautiful I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else. Literally Dittman: right and was he drinking a little bit of alcohol Owen: there was a little bit of alcohol Dittman: ok. In your group? Owen: yeah Dittman: and was Isaac drinking at all today Owen: he was drinking a little bit yeah Dittman: and what were you drinking today Owen: we had some beers Dittman: what kind of beers were you drinking? Owen: um Dittman: and I’m not, this is like the least of my concerns it just-I just have to ask ok so I might ask some uncomfortable questions Tim: just tell him the truth Owen: the golden like draft beer or something like that it was a 24 pack between 7 people Tim: the truth-did you tell him everything or no Owen: no we also had a water bottle filled with some Tito’s Dittman: ok Owen: and we were taking shots every once in a while Tracy: oh jesus Dittman: you said you had about a 24 pack of Michelob ultra. So would you Owen: alcohol did not- Dittman: no, no and I’m not saying it did ok Owen: we were having a great time and this guy just came [inaudible overlap] Dittman: no and I understand, Tim: stop talking Dittman: just bear with me ok? Alcohol is the very least of my worries, I just have to ask these questions ok? Cause I’m very familiar with the Apple river, I know what goes on at the Apple river, that’s why I have to ask these questions, ok? Alright. How much alcohol do you think Isaac had today Owen: I’d say Isaac had maybe 5 beers and 3 or 4 shots Dittman: ok. Did Isaac seem like he was impaired at all or Owen: before or after? Dittman: I should clarify with you. You’ve obviously, you’re 17, you’ve seen people. I should rephrase that. You’re 17 have you ever seen anyone under the influence of alcohol Owen: oh most definitely Dittman: so you’ve seen somebody intoxicated or drunk, would he seem like Owen: he was about a 5 out of 10 drunk he was not that drunk, he was chilling and he was just standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. He wasn’t even doing anything with the dude I didn’t even hear him say a word. I just looked over and saw him Dittman: so we’re going to back peddle a little bit here Owen: mhmm Dittman: he comes over to you guys, he’s just staring, you guys are shouting at him you know like get away from us pedophile, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah at what point did somebody start recording Owen: he was recording um he got like everything I’m pretty sure Dittman: like when Owen: like he got everything up until when he started seeing people stab cause he put his phone down cause he realized what happened Dittman: no, right Owen: and he had like Dittman: and who was recording Owen: Jawahn Dittman: and is he here Tracy and Owen: yes Dittman: ok Owen: he’s the guy with the dreads Dittman: how do you write his first name Owen: j-a-w-a-h-n Dittman: j-a-w Owen: a-h-n Dittman: a-h-n. Owen: jawahn yeah that’s gotta be right, yeah Dittman: no you’re good I’ll grab that from him um Owen: and he gave that footage to a police officer Dittman: no that’s perfect. Um so when you guys are saying stuff to this dude. You said this female was the first one to get punched in the face Owen: mm-hmm Dittman takes a phone call and the video ends and a new video starts Dittman: alright sorry about that Tim: all good Dittman: just one sec. alright, ok. So this female. So when does she get involved Owen: well as soon as we started oh we were screaming pedophile get away from us then she came over walked over from about thirty feet or I mean thirty yards away and she said what’s going on over here and they just like started screaming at him I couldn’t tell you what they were saying Tracy: did it seem like she knew this guy or Owen: no. no one there knew him Dittman: so she was talking to this guy Owen: she was just like get away, just leave him alone blah, blah Tracy: so she was like trying to help Owen: yeah Tim: did she look like she was older or your age or Owen: she was probably in her mid-twenties Tim: ok so she was standing up for some younger kids Owen: yeah all her friends came as well she was in a group of like 5-10 people and then I think one of the people from her group was one that-I don’t know, I don’t know Tim: probably got stabbed also Owen: got stabbed Tracy: well we don’t know that Owen: I guess we don’t know for sure Tim: the only thing you know happened was that she got hit Dittman: so when he punched her directly in the face with closed fist Owen: yeah Dittman: ok Tracy: how does that look to you, show what you saw him do Owen: I don’t even know Tracy: she was coming up to him directly or behind or what Owen: she was just like alright you need to go, you need to leave Tracy: and then he just went like that Owen: yeah Tracy: and then she fell and then at that point what happe Owen: I don’t even know Tim: and that’s when it became chaos? Owen: yeah Dittman: so she gets rocked, does she go into the water, does she stand up? They tussle at all Owen: I don’t even know Dittman: you don’t remember? That’s ok Owen: I would love to tell you but Dittman: so after she gets punched what happened from there Tracy: what happened next Owen: that’s when people started Dittman: did people go after this guy Owen: yeah he definitely got punch a couple times cause I watched him fall to his ass he was just looking up still looking like he was looking through everyone Dittman: yep Owen: and he was just and he got back up and I see the knife in his hand and I don’t remember again I see people guts out of their stomach I look over and I see Isaac. That’s all I remember Dittman: so was Isaac, was he laying in the tube, was he laying in the water. Owen: no we were just all kind of around Dittman: were you standing or on your tubes Owen: standing we were all in the water at that point [inaudible overlap] Tim: how deep was the water where you were standing Owen: it was about up to the knees. Here-ish. Mid thigh Dittman: ok Owen: and um I think he just got too close and um got stabbed clearly Dittman: so was he going towards him Owen: he was not going towards him. Dittman: did the guy Owen: Isaac’s not a fighter Dittman: yeah. The guy, did he go after Isaac. Owen: I don’t know Dittman: you don’t remember Owen: I didn’t see Isaac get stabbed. I just look over I thought it was one of two people in my friend group-I just don’t know-then I ran over to him- I was just. Me and Al, Alex Vang just picked up him brought him to shore and we were just holding his chest. I was just holding his chest and looking at him Dittman: Where did you see the stab wound on him Owen: just right there completely open on him right there. Left side of the chest Dittman: left side of the chest. And was it bleeding Owen: bad Dittman: pretty heavily. So you guys brought him up to Owen: and every single time someone would push on his chest I just felt the air come out of his chest Tim: he probably punctured one of his lungs unfortunately Dittman: did you guys pull him up to shore? Owen: yeah Dittman: and then what happens Owen: and then I was just sitting screaming. Alex and I were just sitting there screaming what do we do we need to carry him to shore. And then like a couple minutes later some nurse girl came up to us. “I’m a nurse, I’m a nurse” and then their group was there and they took over Tracy: when did you tell Alina, his mom Owen: right after I got done holding his chest closed so someone’s calling her and then I called her and I stayed on the phone with her the whole time until she got there Dittman: what happened with the guy where did he go Owen: disappeared Dittman: did you see where he went off too Owen: no he disappeared dittman: he disappeared Tracy: do you know what your friends were doing or saying while you were holding Isaac Owen: well Jawahn was just screaming. And then Landon was also- we were just all in shock. Then I was just on top of him just looking at him Dittman: alright. How much would you say you had to drink today. Owen: uh I’d say I probably had about 4 beers and 3 shots. I’m not even drunk at all Dittman: no I’m Tim: that’s not the question he was just asking you what you had to drink Owen: that’s what I had to drink I’m chillin Tim: ok [inaudible] Dittman: so nurse comes up, she says she’s a nurse you guys obviously didn’t know her she just said I’m a nurse Owen: I figured better her than me Dittman: right. So what happened from there Owen: they were just, they took control of the situation. They were constant CPR. One guy was putting a lot of pressure on his chest just continuous CPR. Then the cop got there took his time walked up slowly and then everyone started showing up then they got him, brought him back to the ambulance Dittman: ok so Owen: floated him down the river Dittman: who all that is here currently Owen: do you want every name Dittman: no just who was there anybody else here that was present during this incident Owen: yeah Tracy: yeah, yes Dittman: everyone here? Owen: not everyone Dittman: just the 5-6 Owen: 6 guys Dittman: guys Owen: 6 other guys yeah Tim: now 5 because Isaac was included in that group so Dittman: right Owen: that should be it Dittman: so 7 total ok Owen: 5 others here were there Dittman: ok. Alright um . Tracy: was Isaac at all at any point after you saw the blood [inaudible] hurt [inaudible] Owen: I tried to check his pulse I didn’t feel anything Tim: he didn’t say much Owen: he didn’t say a single thing Tracy: was Owen: he was just sitting there with his mouth open and his eyes rolling back Tim: so he wasn’t able to talk Owen: no he was not looking good Dittman: well let me-well I’m sorry you had to go through this. I’m going to write the case number on the back here. Sounds like an awful trip on the Apple River. Owen: yeah never again Dittman: I would probably never allow my kids to go to the Apple River Owen: well we went there last year, had a blast Dittman: oh right don’t get me wrong I know how rowdy for things to get down there Tim: as you see it takes 30 seconds from having a blast to not, it doesn’t take long Tracy: not within your control Tim: that situation- Dittman: alright I think I have what I need from you Tim: ok Dittman: if we need anything from you further I will probably reach out to you and we will just coordinate from there Tracy: do you want any of the other boys to talk to next Dittman: yeah we’re going to talk to all of them Tracy: so do you want me to get one or the other Dittman: yeah Owen: I’ll go Tracy: [inaudible overlap] Alex Tim: do you need anything else from him Dittman: no yeah he’s good Tim: ok any particular order Dittman: no, no, nope. Tracy: thank you Dittman: no thank you I appreciate the information we’re just trying to sort the pieces of the puzzle together make sure we’re getting consistent Tracy: none of us have heard anything about Isaac at this point Dittman: he is uh he’s deceased Tracy: ok Dittman: so this is a homicide investigation Tracy: he did pass away Dittman: yes Tracy: is that something I can share with everybody Dittman: um Tracy: cause these boys Dittman: we’ll just keep that to you and yours for this moment while we finish talking to everybody Tracy: cause the boys are going to be really hysterical Dittman: i know yep,yep i'm just trying to be transparent with you. You know what I mean Tracy: thank you. Tracy walks away as the next family approaches