Woman Faces Multiple Charges after Threats Against St. Michael Teacher

The phone threats against a teacher and, in fact, the entire school, have resulted in multiple felony charges against the teacher’s former student, according to paperwork filed in Wright County District Court yesterday.

Arrested and charged is 22-year-old Ariel Stephanie Rose Koenig, a resident at the New Beginnings Group Home in Alexandria, MN.

Koenig, according to the criminal complaint, placed multiple threatening calls to an STMA Middle School East social worker, beginning on Sunday, Feb. 5.

The calls grew more frequent, and according to the charges, more serious. Between the hours of 8 and 9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6, Koenig told the teacher she was “going down.” She also said “she was going to have to pay for what she did.” Finally, she told her in a voicemail, “I’m going to kill you.”

In a final call, placed shortly after 9 p.m., Koenig left this message for the teacher:

“There is a bomb at your school, it’s going to go off at 9 a.m.. Beware. Thank you. Bye,” the complaint states. 

That final message prompted a call to 911, and Deputy Ryan Cowley of the Wright County Sheriff’s office responded, meeting with principal Jennifer Kelly at the school late Monday night.

Kelly told Cowley that a school resource officer (SRO) had met with the social worker Monday to discuss earlier phone calls threatening teacher’s life, but this was the first call to target the school.

Wright County law enforcement searched the school, and the building was cleared at 5 a.m.

With the sheriff’s department’s consultation, the t decided to take prior to the start of school Tuesday, including limiting bus drop off areas and locking down the building once school started.

As the investigation continued, a call was placed to principal Kelly by staff at the New Beginnings Group Home in Alexandria.

According to the complaint, Koenig confessed to staff that she had made threatening phone calls to the teacher, her former social worker. Wright County Detective Julie Eaton confirmed Koenig was a student of the teacher's at St. Michael-Albertville Middle School (prior to the split).

Koenig admitted to Eaton, according to the complaint, that she placed the calls, and that she made the threats because she felt seven or eight years ago the social worker allegedly “made me write something I didn’t mean.” 

Koenig said she “was thinking about killing her,” the complaint continues.

When asked why, Koenig responded, “So I don’t have to think about her anymore.”

Cell phone records obtained by detectives confirmed calls were placed to the teacher’s phone from Koenig’s cell phone, and to the school as well, the complaint states.

Koenig was arrested without incident Tuesday afternoon. She faces two counts of felony terroristic threats, both felonies.

In Wright County District Court, a judge ruled that Koenig should be subjected to a preconference hearing, and an evaluation which will determine if she is fit to stand trial.

The maximum penalty for terroristic threats is 5 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both, if convicted.

* * This article has been updated to protect the identity of the victim, per request, due to a perceived or real threat.