Stearns County (trfnews.i234.me) — A Swanville man faces felony charges after a traffic stop.
Joshua Thomas Larum, 40, is charged with felony stalking and felony domestic assault by strangulation.
He also faces a felony threat of violence charge, plus DWI and misdemeanor domestic assault counts.
A criminal complaint says deputies stopped the vehicle on February 14, 2026.
A third party reported an assault in Brockway Township.
Dispatch notes said a woman was yelling for help.
Witnesses later reported hearing “help me” and seeing a vehicle leave.
During the stop, deputies said a woman passenger had clear injuries.
They reported two black eyes and bruises on her torso.
They also noted neck scratches and missing clumps of hair.
The complaint said the woman appeared terrified.
What the complaint alleges
The woman told investigators the assaults began in December 2025.
She described an incident from February 13, 2026, the complaint said.
She said Larum pinned her down and blocked her breathing with pillows.
She said she saw sparkles and felt confused.
She also said he hit her in the face.
On February 14, she said Larum kept drinking and turned violent again.
She said he pulled her hair while driving.
She said he hit her in the face several times.
Alcohol test and booking
Deputies reported a strong odor of alcohol in the vehicle.
The complaint said Larum admitted drinking earlier.
He refused field sobriety tests, the complaint said.
He later took a breath test at the Stearns County Jail.
The test showed a 0.16 blood alcohol level, the filing said.
Jail staff noted he was uncooperative during booking.
Charges and bail
- Felony stalking.
- Felony domestic assault by strangulation.
- Felony threats of violence.
- Two gross misdemeanor DWI counts.
- Four misdemeanor domestic assault counts.
Court records show the case was filed on February 18, 2026.
Bail was set at $200,000 with conditions or $500,000 without conditions.
Judge Matthew Quinn set bail, according to court records.
The filing notes a 2021 misdemeanor DWI conviction in Todd County.
Larum is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
More information and help
Stearns County Sheriff’s Office info is available here.
Minnesota Court Records Online case search is here.
Minnesota stalking law is here.
Minnesota strangulation law is here.
Minnesota’s threats of violence law is here.
If you need help, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is here.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
