A Nebraska man was arrested Thursday on a Dallas County warrant in connection with incidents last summer in which he allegedly harassed a West Des Moines woman last year “through fictitious email accounts thousands of times,” according to court records
Austin Dane Grueber, 29, of 4210 Kipling Place, Lincoln, Nebraska, was charged with third-offense stalking-violation of a no-contact order.
Grueber was arrested Aug. 15, 2024, in West Des Moines on a charge of third-degree harassment. According to court records, between August and October 2024, Grueber allegedly “used 10 email addresses and nine different social media accounts” to contact the West Des Moines victim “over 2,369 times.”
Grueber allegedly sent the victim 158 emails between Aug. 11-13 alone. All the communication was “unwanted and alarming to the victim,” according to court records.
During the same period, Grueber allegedly was observed “driving by the victim’s residence twice and her father’s residence twice,” according to court records.
The victim sought a no-contact order Aug. 14, and Grueber was served with the order Sept. 27, according to court records. After the no-contact order was served, Grueber allegedly “created Snapchat accounts” and “used them to message” the victim.
Grueber’s messages “would consist of him asking her to speak with him, vague threats to never let her see their mutual dog that lives with him, threats to pursue various criminal charges against her, threats to sue her” and offers of “money to speak with him,” according to court records.
The thousands of messages had the effect of making the victim “fear for her safety in her own home,” according to court records.
As a result of the alleged ongoing harassment, the victim “was forced to flea to her family member’s residence,” but Gruber “later discovered her move to that address and continued his physical surveillance of the victim,” according to court records.
A warrant for Grueber’s arrest was ordered Jan. 2 in Dallas County District Court and served Jan. 30. Grueber was held in the Dallas County Jail on a $20,000 cash or surety bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Feb. 10 in Dallas County District Court and a non-jury trial Feb. 27 in Polk County District Court.
*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
