Grand Forks Man Makes First Court Appearance After Stand Off With Law Enforcement

Ricardo Cepeda has been charged with two Class C felonies for terrorizing and criminal mischief. He is being held on a $25,000 bond. He threatened to shoot an officer in the head if they went near him and he continued to make those threats during the encounter.

Each felony charge comes with a maximum sentence of five years, and if he is convicted of terrorizing, he will be required to serve at least two years. He has also been charged with a Class B misdemeanor for disorderly conduct.

Cepeda says that he doesn’t remember what happened and that he told his case worker that he needs his medication.

Cepeda threatened to shoot an officer during the standoff, but he said later on that he doesn’t have any weapons. If he is released on bond, he is required to give any weapons or ammunition he might have to the sheriff’s office.

Cepeda is also accused of destroying a police drone that went into his apartment through an open window. The drone belongs to the Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Office and it was a part of a system that costs $17,000 per year.

If he is released on bond, Cepeda will be barred from making contact with a neighbor and her children. The standoff happened after a neighbor at his apartment complex called the police. She called police because Cepeda allegedly yelled at her juvenile daughter.

Cepeda’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 9th at 1:30pm.