Suspect faces felony child neglect, meth charges
Toni R. Wanty, 33, Iola, is charged with possession or methamphetamine as a repeater, a fifth drunken driving offense, felony child neglect, misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct as acts of domestic abuse and two counts of felony bail jumping.
Shortly after 5 p.m. Friday, July 8, a 911 caller reported that Wanty was at a home on County Trunk B in the town of Scandinavia trying to take her daughter. The caller also reported that Wanty seemed under the influence of drugs.
Dispatch advised officers that they could hear shouting in the background.
Iola Police Chief Paul Zierler was the first to arrive at the scene and had handcuffed Wanty by the time other officers arrived.
According to the criminal complaint, Waupaca County Deputy Alec Brockman reported, “Toni was speaking rapidly and had to be told numerous times to slow down. Toni made incoherent and nonsensical statements. Toni was emotionally elevated. Based on my training and experience, I believed Toni to be under the influence of a mind altering substance.”
Wanty’s mother, who lives at the house with her boyfriend, told Brockman that Child Protective Services had given her custody of Wanty’s 20-month-old daughter.
She said Wanty drove to her home and brought some things for the child.
When the mother gave the girl a bottle of juice, Wanty allegedly took a sip, yelled that it had booze in it, grabbed the child and ran to her car.
The mother’s boyfriend pulled the child from Wanty’s grasp. The mother, her boyfriend and the child then went into the house, locked the door and called 911.
Deputy James Santiago deployed his K9 partner Cudo around Wanty’s vehicle. The dog alerted to the presence of narcotics.
A search uncovered a plastic bag with suspected meth and two syringes.
Open charges
On Nov. 5, 2021, Waupaca County prosecutors charged Wanty with felony child neglect as a repeat offender.
Wanty remained in custody until March 18, 2022, when she posted a $1,000 cash bond.
On June 20, 2022, Wanty was charged with a fourth drunken driving offense, felony bail jumping, illegal possession of a prescription drug and failing to install a court-ordered ignition interlock device.
She was released from custody after posting a $1,500 cash bond on July 5.
Following her July 8 arrest, Wanty remains in custody on a $10,000 cash bond.