Storage Unit Burglar Sentenced
4/29/10 – A former Waupun man was sentenced to one year in jail yesterday (Wed) for burglarizing several storage units. Bryan D.J. Robel of Waukesha pleaded “no contest” to three felony charges and had 11 felony counts and three misdemeanors dismissed but read into the record. Robel and his girlfriend Amanda Bryant were connected to break-ins last May at Verhage Storage after authorities found a sack of broken padlocks in her car. The 23-year-old’s were being questioned about a series of purse snatchings in the Horicon Marsh area when the padlocks were discovered. The two used the credit cards stolen from the purses for a shopping spree and were tracked down with the help of video surveillance footage from two Beaver Dam businesses. Robel was also placed on probation for six years and ordered to pay restitution. Bryant received a similar sentence in February.
Trial Dates Set For Pregnant Assault Suspects
4/29/10 – Two men accused of assaulting a pregnant woman and stealing her student loan money had jury trials scheduled this week. 22-year-old Brad Kiefer and 20-year-old Andrew Hoffman are facing charges that include Robbery, Battery, and Theft of Movable Property. According to the criminal complaint, the victim was attempting to get into her car at the Watertown High School when Kiefer, Hoffman and a third man allegedly walked up behind her, knocked her to the ground and started kicking her. She was around four months pregnant at the time and sustained cuts and scrapes. Around $1000 in student loan money was stolen from her purse. The suspects claim the victim had stolen $400 that they had collected to purchase illegal drugs and say they were just trying to get their money back. Formal charges were recently filed against the third man implicated in the attack; 23-year-old Desmond Durow of Mukwonago had a warrant issued for his arrest and has yet to make an initial appearance. Hoffman has a three day jury trial set for July while Kiefer has a three day trial scheduled in October.
Blood Trail Burglary Suspect Stands Mute
4/29/10 – An Edgerton man charged in connection with a Watertown business break-in was in court for an arraignment hearing yesterday. Brandon S. Topel stood mute and had a “not guilty” plea entered on his behalf. The 29-year-old is charged felony counts of Theft and Criminal Damage to Property for allegedly breaking into Temp Air in Watertown in August of 2008. The business was reportedly out $4300 from both the damage and stolen goods. Topel is also charged with smashing the windows of two vehicles in the parking lot of the business. Investigators found a trail of blood at the crime scene and followed it through 25 feet of grass to a nearby motel, where Topel was staying. The State Crime Lab allegedly matched DNA from the blood trail with that of DNA obtained from Topel while he was being held in the Jefferson County Jail on an unrelated charge. Topel has a plea hearing set for June 2.
County Supervisor on ‘Food For Thought’
4/29/10 – Dodge County Board Supervisor Larry Bischoff says he came away with a whole different impression of food pantries after he and his wife spent three days eating from a box of food they got from a food pantry in Beaver Dam. Bischoff had cereal and canned fruits in the morning. For dinner the first night they were able to enjoy a whole chicken. By night three they were down to soup. Participants paid $25 for the box, and Bischoff says for the price, they were able to get a lot more food than he expected. He says he’d like to see more community support for food pantries, not just in terms of a variety of donations, but also volunteers to help unload monthly food deliveries. He also says food pantries should post a list of items needed to help point donors in the right direction. On tomorrow’s installment, we’ll hear what the family of WBEV-WXRO News Director Craig Warmbold thought about the “Food For Thought” program.
