On Dec. 9, Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Michael R. Bluff sentenced John Andrew Walton Eisenbeiss, 42, of Flagstaff, to 13½ years in the Arizona State Prison. The sentence followed an Oct. 25 trial in which a Yavapai County jury found Eisenbeiss guilty of burglary in the first degree, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and various other felonies. 

The Sedona Police Department’s investigation alleged that on June 17, 2022, Eisenbeiss went to a Sedona bar after breaking up with his girlfriend.

While at the bar, Eisenbeiss began sending the former girlfriend lewd and threatening texts, including a photo he had secretly taken while she was sleeping.

Eisenbeiss allegedly used her credit card to pay his bar tab before driving to her home, where he kicked down an entry gate while yelling loudly. At approximately 9:45 p.m. Eisenbeiss got into a physical fight with another male friend at his girlfriend’s house. During that fight he damaged a wooden gate, pointed a gun at the male friend’s head and threatened to kill him. He fled the area prior to officers’ arrival, according to police reports.

An officer located the suspect’s vehicle at approximately 10:44 p.m. and conducted a high-risk traffic stop. Eisenbeiss was taken into custody without incident, and booked into the Yavapai County Detention Center in Camp Verde on charges of aggravated assault, weapons misconduct and threatening or intimidating per domestic violence.

Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane commended the Sedona Police Department for their investigation.

McGrane also thanked the jurors and commendedDeputy Yavapai County Attorney Patti Wortman for meticulously preparing and presenting the case at trial.

“I encourage anyone who is experiencing domestic violence to seek help by calling your local police or the National Domestic Violence Helpline at 1 (800) 799-7233,” McGrane stated. “To anyone who is feeling angry about a situation, take a deep breath and walkaway before you do something that you may regret. There are many excellent counseling programs available in our community for people who are feeling violent or overwhelmed by a domestic situation. Let me be clear, if you choose to batter a loved one or anyone else in Yavapai County, you will be prosecuted. If Mr. Eisenbeiss had simply walked away that night, he would not be spending the next 13½ years of his life in prison.”