Winthrop Woman Charged After Firing Gun Into Neighbor’s Home

Aug 26

A Winthrop woman is in custody after prosecutors say she fired multiple gunshots from inside her home last week, striking her neighbor’s house and damaging property.

Julia Renee Stolfa, 45, has been charged in Sibley County with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, intentional discharge of a firearm that endangers safety, first-degree criminal damage to property and reckless discharge of a firearm within a municipality.

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According to the criminal complaint, Winthrop police were called to Stolfa’s home on South Redwood Street around 7 a.m. Friday after neighbors reported hearing 10 to 15 gunshots. Investigators later found at least three bullets had entered the living room and dining room of her neighbor’s house.

Officers obtained a search warrant and arrested Stolfa in her bedroom. A Glock 48 9mm handgun, spent shell casings, and boxes of ammunition were located throughout her home. Investigators also documented bullet holes in the kitchen ceiling, basement walls, stairwell, and back entryway. Numerous empty beer cans were scattered around the residence.

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Police say Stolfa admitted to firing her gun both inside and outside her house. At times, she told investigators she did it “as a joke,” and other times claimed she acted because her neighbor is Jewish. She also stated she had been drinking heavily for three days and thought it would be fun to shoot her firearm. A preliminary breath test measured her blood alcohol concentration at .17.

Stolfa acknowledged shooting into her neighbor’s home but claimed she was only trying to scare him, not injure or kill him. At one point, she told officers, “I guess I’m guilty. I will claim self-defense, harassment and bullying,” but later justified her actions by saying she was blackout drunk.

Stolfa made an initial court appearance Monday where bail was set at $750,000 with no conditions, or $250,000 with conditions.

If convicted, she faces a maximum of seven years in prison on the assault charge, five years each on the firearm discharge and property damage charges, and two years on the reckless discharge count.

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