Zachary David Mengel

On March 20, 2026, at 0125 hours, Ramsey County deputies responded to [ADDRESS REDACTED], Vadnais Heights, Ramsey County, on a domestic dispute. Deputies had been at the address earlier in the evening and determined that a crime did not occur. Zachary David Mengel, [DOB REDACTED], was the complainant on that call. He told deputies that he was going to walk to the Clover Bar to get away for a while. When deputies were called back to the address, NKH-C, [DOB REDACTED], told deputies that Mengel came back from the bar and they argued.

He threatened to damage her vehicle. He made a comment about everyone dying. He said, “If you leave the kids and you can die, we all can die together then.” He was holding a four-pronged lug wrench. Her mom, LH, [DOB REDACTED], came outside and Mengel started arguing with her. He started coming at LH while holding the lug wrench. He raised the lug wrench and started yelling that he was going to “break her jaw.” LH confirmed NKH-C’s account of the incident. She said that she was backing away from Mengel when he threatened to break her jaw.

She said that she was scared. Deputies arrested Mengel. In a post-Miranda interview, Mengel said that he lives with NKH-C and her Mother LH. He acknowledged an argument, but he denied threatening anyone. He said he could have said that he would break LH’s jaw, but he did not remember that statement. He said he had the tire iron to remove the tires from the car, not to use as a weapon. In a follow-up interview, NKH-C recanted some of her earlier statements about Mengel mentioning killing everyone.

She said that Mengel may have said something about breaking her mother’s jaw, but she said she could not recall that.