Beaver Dam Man Accused Of Crashing Into Middle School Enters Not Guilty Plea

(Beaver Dam) The suspect in a police chase that ended with a fiery car crash that knocked a hole in the Beaver Dam Middle School was arraigned Wednesday. Roy Cortez entered a not guilty plea to a felony charge of Fleeing for the incident that started with a domestic abuse report around 11:15pm on August 21st. According to the criminal complaint, the 22-year-old was kicked out of another Beaver Dam residence in early August and was living with a friend. She told authorities that he had a hard time accepting that they were only friends. She felt threatened as he became agitated. He left the apartment briefly and she locked him out. That’s when Cortez reportedly smashed a window to regain entry and authorities were called. Officers estimate that the vehicle was traveling up to 90-miles-per-hour on Grove Street when they observed a large fireball and heard a loud thud. The impact decimated an electrical transformer and created a hole in the brick middle school building estimated at seven-feet wide and 30-feet tall. School officials estimate the damage at well over $500-thousand dollars. If convicted, the felony charge carries a maximum six-year prison sentence.