Bear Creek man spent eight years in prison
Arnold R. Hedtke, 30, Bear Creek, is charged with taking a vehicle without consent, tampering with a GPS monitoring bracelet and criminal damage to property.
He is currently in custody on a $2,000 cash bond.
On Thursday, Jan. 30, Waupaca County deputies attempted to pick up Hedtke on a Department of Corrections warrant.
Before they arrived, Hedtke walked away from his residence on State Highway 22 in the town of Bear Creek, according to the criminal complaint.
His tracks led to a nearby home on County Trunk T.
Residents of that home called 911 at 7:24 a.m. Thursday and reported finding an ankle monitoring bracelet in their garage.
Deputies Hailey Casari and Curtis Much responded to their call.
They found the handle to the garage’s service door was broken and the bracelet had been cut and left on the floor.
Stolen vehicle
At 7:50 a.m., a resident of Bear Creek Road reported her blue 2007 Chevy Impala had been stolen.
She said she left her keys in the car and it had been unlocked.
Later that day, Hedtke turned himself in at the DOC office in Waupaca.
Hedtke reportedly told Much his parents had called him on Thursday and said law enforcement was looking for him.
Initially, Hedtke admitted to going into the garage to remove his ankle bracelet, but denied taking the car, the complaint says.
Hedtke said a friend gave him a ride to Fox River Mall in Grand Chute, and his father picked him up and took him to the DOC office.
At 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Grand Chute police called Waupaca County and reported finding the stolen vehicle at Fox River Mall.
Hedtke later told Much he took the Impala, drove it to the mall and slept in it until the mall opened, the complaint says.
Prison record
At the time of his arrest on Jan. 30, Hedtke had been out of custody for three days.
On Feb. 2, 2011, Judge Raymond Huber sentenced Hedtke to five years in state prison and five years of extended supervision for burglary and taking a vehicle without consent.
Due to a prior conviction being revoked, Hedtke was not released from prison until Feb. 20, 2018.
On Oct. 24, 2018, Columbia County sentenced Hedtke to one year in prison and one year of extended supervision for taking a car without consent. The offense occurred on May 8, 2018.
On Dec. 4, 2018, Waupaca County sentenced Hedtke to one year in prison and one year of extended supervision for taking a car without consent. That offense occurred on May 7, 2018.