Kalispell man is accused of beating wife

A Kalispell man is facing a felony charge after allegedly beating his wife in a drug-fueled disagreement on Friday.

Jason David Weldele, 38, was charged in Flathead District Court with one count of felony criminal endangerment and one misdemeanor count of partner-family member assault. He is being held on $35,000 bail.

According to court documents, Weldele’s wife told responding Flathead County Sheriff’s deputies that her husband had been using methamphetamine and became upset because she wanted to divorce him. She claimed that Weldele punched her in the head, knocked her to the floor, and kicked her in the head five to seven times. The woman reported that she had been assaulted by Weldele before.

Weldele is already a felon, convicted of felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs in Flathead County in 2009.

In June, Lake County authorities charged Weldele with two felony counts of assault with a weapon for an incident in which Weldele allegedly screamed obscenities at a receptionist at St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson on May 17.

He then allegedly pulled out a knife and waved it around when a doctor tried to talk to him and threw the knife when a police officer responded to the scene. Weldele pleaded not guilty in that case.

Weldele will be arraigned on the newest charges on Nov. 17.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com.