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Soldier bites off ear in fight over war story

BALSAM LAKE, Wis. — A soldier accused of biting off part of another man’s ear when they got in a fight over his Iraq war stories has been ordered to stand trial on a charge of mayhem.

A jury trial date of March 25 was set Friday in Polk County Circuit Court for Ramon A. Aleaga, 21, whose address was listed as Colorado Springs, Colo., according to computerized state court records.

The criminal complaint said the dispute developed Sunday night at the home of Stacey Kunze in Clear Lake, during a holiday party that included a couple of New Richmond High School graduates just returned from service in Iraq.

“It was funny, but it’s not,” said Kunze, who witnessed the melee.

She said Aleaga at some point launched into gruesome tales of killing people during his time in Iraq, and Brian Johnson of Star Prairie eventually tired of it.

“He’s like, ‘Shut up. My dad was in Vietnam, and those guys don’t tell stories like that,’” Kunze said.

Aleaga tackled Johnson and the two wrestled until the others at the party heard Johnson choking, pulled Aleaga off and found a piece of ear on the floor, she said.

A sheriff’s report quoted Johnson as saying Aleaga bit off the chunk of his ear, spit it in his face and proceeded to throttle him.

Johnson was taken to a hospital but was told the quarter-size piece of ear could not be reattached. Then he filed a complaint with the sheriff’s office.

A sheriff’s report listed alcohol as a contributing factor in the incident.

Polk County District Attorney Daniel Steffen said it is the first mayhem charge he’s seen since he began practicing law in 1998.

“It sure fits the bill in this case,” he said.

John Leonard, the public defender representing Aleaga, did not return a message left at his office Friday evening by The Associated Press seeking comment.