A man convicted of sexual battery in California in 1990 before moving to Indiana and then Arizona has gotten off to a rough start on his 20-year prison sentence for a kidnap and assault he committed last year in Cochise County.
David Keith Winklepleck began serving a 20-year sentence after pleading guilty Jan. 28 to three felonies stemming from a Nov. 30, 2019 domestic violence incident with an ex-girlfriend at a Palominas home. He was in Arizona Department of Corrections (ADC) custody less than six months before committing a disciplinary infraction, according to ADC.
Court records show Winklepleck, 49, gagged and restrained the woman during a Nov. 30, 2019 incident at her residence. He then put a knife to her throat, before taking her gun, cellphone, and vehicle to go “kill some people.”
The woman freed herself, then went to a neighbor’s house to call 911. Her vehicle was located soon after by authorities who tracked the stolen cellphone. Winklepleck, who has also used the last name of Vance, was taken into custody after a foot chase with officers.
A week later Winklepleck was indicted by a county grand jury on 13 felonies, including kidnap, armed robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, weapon misconduct for prohibited possession, and tampering with physical evidence. He was set to stand trial in April but instead entered into a plea agreement with the Cochise County Attorney’s Office.
That plea deal, signed less than 60 days after the incident, required Winklepleck to enter three pleas of guilty — for kidnapping, aggravated assault by impeding breathing, and weapons misconduct by a felon. In exchange, he could be released from custody after serving 85 percent of his term. He also had to give up his right to appeal.
Court records show Winklepleck’s sentence took into consideration the fact he has at least two felony convictions in the last 10 years while living in California. One was for making terroristic threats, the other was for failing to register as a sex offender.
Winklepleck is required to re-register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. His earliest release date is listed by ADC as January 2037.
