On or about January 5, 2026, Fergus Falls Police Department officers responded to a care unit in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, upon report of a physical altercation between two clients. The victim indicated that TERA JOSEPHINE MARIE CLOUD-BENAIS, [DOB REDACTED], the defendant, was the initial aggressor. The victim [NAME REDACTED] had problems with the defendant while at the unit. The victim said at times the defendant would run up to the victim and flash him with her private parts, and another time was playing with her genital area in front of him.
The victim [NAME REDACTED] did not want to be involved in anything sexual and wanted to focus on his treatment. The victim [NAME REDACTED] on January 5, 2026, the defendant was walking up to others calling them a b**** for no reason and before the altercation, the defendant had called the victim a b****. The victim [NAME REDACTED] informed the defendant she should treat people how she wants to be treated and had lightly thrown a plastic cup at the defendant. The victim described that the defendant then grabbed the victim’s T-shirt and was attempting to hit the victim with what he described as a karate chop.
The victim [NAME REDACTED] had used a pan in the altercation. The victim [NAME REDACTED]. The defendant told an officer that the victim had been calling the defendant names for the past couple of days. This angered the defendant. The defendant stated she had enough and flipped her food tray, which started the altercation. The defendant said she then punched the victim with a closed fist while in the kitchen entryway. Staff separated the two before the defendant was able to get past staff and jump onto the victim’s back and began punching him in the head and struck him multiple times.
The defendant stated she had struck the victim in the head with a metal pan at some point during the altercation. The defendant continued to say that the victim kept pushing and pushing the defendant in calling her names. The defendant told the officer that she had broke her hand the day before punching a wall because she was so angry. The defendant’s hand appeared bruised. Law enforcement looked at the metal pan used for meals, which was approximately five inches tall, and eight inches long by four inches wide.
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: Pursuant to Minn. Stat. 609.49, intentional failure to appear for duly scheduled court appearances may result in additional criminal charges, and in addition to any arrest warrant that may otherwise be issued by the Court.
