Police: Plymouth woman died week after being assaulted by daughter; death ruled homicide

A Plymouth woman’s death has been ruled a homicide after a medical examiner determined the injuries from an assault the week before played a role in her death.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office released its report for 78-year-old Sheila Wobbeking’s death on Tuesday. Wobbeking died at her Plymouth home on July 5 after a medical emergency.

However, the medical examiner determined that the medical emergency that ended her life stemmed from injuries she suffered a week earlier.

According to Maple Grove Police Commander Jon Wetternach, Wobbeking called police on the afternoon of June 27, saying her daughter, Nicole Wobbeking, had assaulted her.

It allegedly happened at a home in the 11900 block of 71st Avenue in Maple Grove, where Nicole Wobbeking lived, although court documents state the home was owned by her mother and she was just the tenant.

Sheila Wobbeking told police that she’d gone to the home to talk about some issues that neighbors had brought to her attention as well as unpaid rent. When she got to the home, her daughter didn’t answer so she went inside and continued calling for her daughter.

That’s when Nicole allegedly came out of a room, started yelling obscenities at her mother and slapped her in the face, then pushed her down several stairs, according to court documents. She also allegedly hit her mother in the ribs and hips with a can of unopened pasta sauce.

Sheila was able to get outside and wait for the police with her granddaughter. She was taken to a hospital and diagnosed with a broken ankle before being released.

Her daughter was arrested on charges of fifth-degree assault two days later, but those charges were then upgraded to felony third-degree assault on June 30 and Nicole was booked into jail.

The medical examiner determined that Sheila’s medical emergency was caused by a pulmonary thromboemoboli that stemmed from the broken bone she suffered during the assault. Therefore, her death was ruled a homicide.

Maple Grove police say they’ve submitted the new information to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, asking for charges related to homicide against Nicole. That decision was still pending as of Tuesday afternoon but Nicole remained jailed in Hennepin County. She already faces up to five years in jail for the third-degree assault charge and could face more time if the charges are upgraded and she’s convicted.