A 28-year-old Minot resident, Jacob Ryan Hill, finds himself in serious legal trouble as he faces a slew of charges. Among these charges is the accusation of making a bomb threat to the Ward County courthouse on May 25, which led to the evacuation of the premises.
Jacob Hill is charged with a Class C felony for terrorizing in connection with the bomb threat incident. Although no explosive device was discovered, the threat prompted the evacuation, causing an hour-long disruption before normalcy was restored.
However, Hill was already in custody at the Ward County Jail on prior charges. He was accused of shooting his 5-year-old stepdaughter in the leg with a BB gun during the spring season. Additionally, he faced allegations of possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia at the time of his arrest this week.
In a recent court appearance for the Class B felony child abuse charge related to the BB gun incident, the bond was set at $20,000 in cash or corporate surety.
This troubling case also involves Hill’s wife, Cassandra, aged 24, who is facing a Class C felony child neglect charge. She is accused of permitting her daughter to reside with Hill and failing to seek medical attention for the child’s injuries.
According to a probable cause affidavit submitted to the court, the child’s paternal aunt took her to Sanford Health in Bismarck for treatment on June 6. The hospital confirmed that the girl had sustained a BB or pellet gun injury in Ward County. During interviews with authorities in Bismarck, the young girl revealed that her stepfather shot her in the leg as a response to her behavior toward her 2-year-old sister. The incident reportedly occurred while the family was living in Max.
The child also disclosed concerning living conditions, claiming a lack of access to water and food at their Max residence. Her aunt further reported that the child had experienced significant weight loss while residing with her mother and often appeared unclean.
The legal proceedings for Jacob Hill and Cassandra Hill are ongoing as they face these serious charges.
