Lake Crystal Man Charged After Alleged Ice Fishing Altercation

A Lake Crystal man was charged after an altercation allegedly broke out during an ice fishing outing.

Nathan Jon Manderfield, 36, was charged in Blue Earth County Court with felony 3rd-degree assault in the Feb 6 incident.

A criminal complaint says deputies responded to a Blue Earth County lake at 2:36 a.m., where they found a man bleeding from the head.

The victim told police Manderfield had caused the gash on his head by throwing a tumbler at him.  Police say the tumbler was “severely dented.”

The complaint says Manderfield and the victim, who had separate fish houses, were physically fighting on the ice when Manderfield threw the tumbler.  Manderfield allegedly told deputies he thought the cup had struck the victim in the head.

Investigators visited the victim in the hospital, where they saw a “visible welt” on his forehead; a cut approximately three inches long, deep enough to see muscle under the skin, according to the complaint.

A witness told police he saw Manderfield throw the tumbler at the victim.

The criminal complaint says the victim had a blood-alcohol content of .22, while Manderfield’s BAC was .13.