The man who allegedly stabbed former Fergus Falls mayoral candidate Ivan “Skip” Mallas early Sunday morning was charged on Tuesday with second degree attempted murder.

Mallas had been approached by Timothy Eugene Peterson while working in his garage. Peterson allegedly began chanting and called himself a “soul collector” and a “medicine man” while trying first to cut off some of Mallas’ toes. Mallas said that Peterson then tried to slit his throat, scalp him and stab him in the chest, all the while telling Mallas that he needed to kill him and “collect his soul.”