(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. – A Kenosha man accused of attacking his elderly father, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, appeared in court Tuesday on charges of felony elder abuse and disorderly conduct as a domestic abuse repeater.
Arthur A. Ahlgren Jr., 38, was charged with one count of intentionally causing bodily harm to an elder person and one count of disorderly conduct, both as acts of domestic abuse. The elder abuse charge is a Class H felony carrying up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Due to prior domestic abuse convictions in 2018 and 2019, the misdemeanor charge is enhanced to a felony and may carry up to two additional years of imprisonment.
(Kenosha County Sheriff)
The charges stem from a May 23 incident at an upper apartment on the 900 block of 43rd Street. According to the criminal complaint, a downstairs neighbor called police after hearing an argument and what sounded like someone being pushed to the ground.
Responding officers found the alleged victim, Ahlgren’s 70-year-old father, who appeared frail and in poor health. He told police he confronted his son over a missing coin from his collection. After a verbal exchange, he said his son entered his bedroom uninvited and struck him in the back of the head with a hard object while he sat with his back turned. The complaint states Ahlgren Jr. then hit his father twice in the chest with a closed fist.
Ahlgren’s father declined medical attention but reported pain and a bump on the back of his head, which officers documented with photographs.
During his arrest, Ahlgren Jr. told police his father had initiated the altercation by yelling at and punching him. Officers observed red marks on the defendant’s side, but concluded he was the primary aggressor based on the circumstances and his father’s limited mobility.
While in custody, Ahlgren Jr. made spontaneous statements about people switching out his father at church and threatened to burn down the residence they shared once released, according to the complaint.
In court Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Toni Young asked for $10,000 cash bail, citing the vulnerability of the alleged victim and the violent nature of the incident. “This is an individual that is not only elderly, but that has Alzheimer’s… one of the more vulnerable individuals in our community,” Young told the court.
Defense attorney Michelle Gardner requested a signature bond, emphasizing Ahlgren’s long-standing mental health issues and limited resources. “It is clear based on the complaint that there are very significant mental health concerns,” Gardner said, referencing statements made by her client while in jail. She noted that Ahlgren receives SSDI for mental illness, has family support locally, and has no alternative housing if barred from contact with his father.
Commissioner William Michel II set bail at $5,000 cash and scheduled a competency hearing for June 26, 2025.
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