Report: Husband had 'temper problem'

ST. MARYS - A St. Marys-area woman who told a 911 dispatcher that she'd killed her husband had previously reported a domestic dispute.

Stephanie L. Sweigart, 30, was arrested on a felony charge of murder early Saturday morning. Auglaize County Sheriff's deputies and St. Marys police officers responded to 255 Pershing Drive in the Sandy Beach area at 3:32 a.m. Saturday, according to sheriff's office information. They reportedly found Wesley A. Sweigart, 36, dead inside the residence.

Stephanie Sweigart had called authorities at least once before for a domestic issue, according to an incident report released by the office. In February 2018, Sweigart had called the sheriff's office and asked to speak with a deputy about her husband, saying he was threatening to come home and destroy their residence.

The report states that Sweigart told a deputy she and her husband of almost two years had been having issues for some time and that her husband had a "temper problem."

"She stated that he is very aggressive and will snap and just start destroying things. Stephanie stated that this was the reason they moved from (their) last home because Wesley had caused so much damage inside of the residence," the report reads.

The couple had reportedly started arguing about money, and Sweigart told the deputy her husband had accused her of cheating.

While her husband was in Indiana driving a milk truck, the couple had gotten into an argument over the phone, and Sweigart told the deputy her husband had threatened to destroy their residence when he returned.

Sweigart and two children reportedly left to spend the night elsewhere. The deputy then called Wesley Sweigart and informed him of the complaint and told him they had taken pictures of the residence at his wife's request.

Wesley Sweigart told the deputy his wife's accusations were untrue, according to the report. The deputy further warned him about destroying things, how those types of actions could be taken as threatening or make someone scared for his or her safety "and how this would apply to the domestic violence laws." Wesley Sweigart reportedly told the deputy no issues would arise.

In Saturday morning's 911 call released by the office, Sweigart tells the dispatcher that her husband had been beating her and that she had shot him.

Over the course of the call, Sweigart told the dispatcher of a physical altercation with her husband and that he had brandished a knife, making her fear for her life. She said she had sneaked her gun out before her husband was able to find it.

"I ran because I was trying to get - He made me go back in the bedroom after physically assaulting me in the living room. He told me that if I didn't go to the bedroom he was gonna hurt me. He was gonna stab me. He had a knife, and I just, just listened. I didn't know what else to do because my phone was in the living room," Sweigart told the operator.

Sheriff's officials contacted Sweigart family members before releasing the audio.

She made her initial appearance in court on Monday via video from the Auglaize County jail. Her bond was set at $250,000, subject to a 10% cash option, in combination with an own-recognizance bond. A pretrial hearing for the case is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.