Man Arrested for Shattering Hotel Office Door, Threatening Employee with Shovel

Joshua Wayne Herdina faces multiple felony charges after incident at Fargo hotel

Mar. 12, 2026 at 10:04pm

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A Park Rapids, Minnesota man has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including burglary, terrorizing, and felonious restraint, after he allegedly broke into a Fargo hotel's employee-only office, threatened a worker with a shovel, and shattered the glass security door.

Why it matters

This incident highlights the risks hotel employees can face from disruptive and potentially violent guests, as well as the challenges law enforcement and the justice system face in dealing with suspects who may have mental health issues contributing to their actions.

The details

According to police, Joshua Wayne Herdina entered the Bison Inn and Suites hotel in Fargo early Thursday morning, asked a front desk employee to borrow her cell phone, and when she refused, forced his way into the secure, employee-only office area. The employee told him to leave multiple times, and a hotel guest helped remove him, but Herdina then retrieved a snow shovel, returned to the lobby, and used it to smash through the glass security door. The victim barricaded herself in a side room, fearing for her life, until police arrived and detained Herdina.

  • The incident occurred at approximately 4:33 a.m. on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
  • Herdina told medical staff he had used methamphetamine about 4 hours before the incident.

The players

Joshua Wayne Herdina

A 35-year-old man from Park Rapids, Minnesota who has been charged with multiple felonies related to the incident at the Fargo hotel.

Bison Inn and Suites

The Fargo hotel where the incident took place.

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What they’re saying

“Herdina told officers he broke the door because he felt unsafe and wanted to use a phone to call police. He also said he wanted to be visible on the hotel's security cameras.”

— Joshua Wayne Herdina

“At Essentia Health, where he was taken for medical clearance, Herdina told medical staff he had used methamphetamine approximately four hours before the incident, describing it as 'four hits.' He also told officers he had PTSD and requested psychiatric care rather than jail.”

— Joshua Wayne Herdina

What’s next

The judge will decide on Tuesday whether to allow Herdina to be released on bail.

The takeaway

This incident underscores the need for hotels to have robust security measures and protocols in place to protect their employees, as well as the importance of the justice system addressing the mental health and substance abuse issues that may contribute to such disruptive and dangerous behavior.