On or about 1/7/2026, Officers with the Bloomington Police Department responded to a residence on the 9000 block of Elliot Ave S in Bloomington, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Upon arrival, the Officers saw that the victim (TMZ) and the suspect, David Daniel Zellmer, [DOB REDACTED], Defendant herein, were standing near the front door. Officers took a statement from TMZ, who stated that she and the Defendant had been married for 29 years and live together at this address. Their three grandchildren, daughter, and son-in-law also live there.
TMZ struggles with alcoholism and drank a small bottle of alcohol that day. After returning home from work, she unloaded the groceries and started making dinner for the family. She told the Defendant she wanted to lay down because she had a long day. Shortly after laying down, the Defendant confronted her in the bedroom regarding an empty bottle of vodka he had found. This started an argument about the alcohol and lying. During the argument, the Defendant grabbed her with both of his hands and wrapped them around the front of her neck.
He applied pressure to her neck while saying “I’m so p***** at you.” TMZ stated that the Defendant held her neck for about 30 seconds. During this time, she felt like he was going to kill her. She stated he was grabbing her neck so hard, and she feared for her life. After he let go of her neck, she stated that she was going to call 911, to which he replied, “Go ahead.” The victim [NAME REDACTED] had been physically assaultive in the past, but it happened 7-8 months ago. The Defendant was taken into custody and, in a post-Miranda statement, admitted to grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her.
He further stated that he covered her mouth to keep her from yelling. He stated that he grabbed her by the back of the head and neck and yelled at her while asking if it was worth lying to him over this. The Defendant is in custody on these charges.
