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Sun Prairie Woman Targeted In Real Estate Scam

Sun Prairie Woman Targeted In Real Estate Scam

A 28-year-old Sun Prairie woman figured out a scam before wiring any funds to Africa, but not before sending some of her personal information, according to a Madison Police Department fraud investigation.

The woman told police she was looking for rental properties on Madison's north side when she saw a Craiglist listing for a home on Browning Road.

She called the number and the person on the line had a thick accent and said he was doing missionary work in Africa and was not able to deal with her in person. Instead the man said once the woman wired him a $500 deposit, he would send her the keys.

The woman said she got a gut feeling and found the home was listed by a local real estate agent who said the home was for sale and that he had received at least 15 similar calls.

The victim did send a rental application to Africa, which contained personal information, prior to figuring out she was being victimized.

Sun Prairie Mother Targeted In Road Rage Incident

Sun Prairie Mother Targeted In Road Rage Incident

A frightened Sun Prairie mother called for police Friday morning after a man dressed in camouflage pointed a rifle at her and her four children after a road rage incident, according to the Madison Police Department.

The victim said she was driving into Madison around 8:40 a.m. when she said she must have cut another driver off near the Windsor exit on Highway 51.

She said the next thing she knew, an older-model, blue or gray, four-door Honda sped up, got in front of her and slammed on the brakes in the 5000 block of East Washington Avenue, near High Crossing Boulevard.

She told police she passed the car on the left, but as she did, she could see the driver aiming a rifle at her while angrily mouthing words at her.

The woman said she did not recall cutting the man off. The man was descibed as a white man, about 30-years-old with a slender build. He was wearing military-style camouflage clothing.

Sun Prairie Man Accused Of 5th Offense OWI

Sun Prairie Man Accused Of 5th Offense OWI

A Sun Prairie man driving in the town of Cottage Grove was arrested Sunday on a charge of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, according to the Dane County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies said this was Douglas L. Lange's fifth OWI offense. They said he was driving traveling eastbound in the westbound lane on Highway 12 at about 8:45 p.m. He was stopped near Highway N, authorities said.

Lange, 54, of Sun Prairie, admitted to being intoxicated and following field sobriety tests, was arrested on at a felony OWI charge, deputies said.

Lange was also cited on charges of operating after revocation, driving the wrong way on a divided highway, and having no insurance, sheriff's office officials said.

Town Of Burke VFW Post Burglarized

Town Of Burke VFW Post Burglarized

The Longmire VFW Post 8483 suffered considerable damage early Saturday morning, according to the Dane County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies said they responded to an alarm at the business located at 5737 County Highway CV in the town of Burke.

Inside the business deputies said they found damage to several areas inside the post and an undisclosed number of items were taken.

The Dane County Sheriff’s Office is looking for information from anyone who may have been in the area of County Highway CV and Messerschmidt Road between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 6:15 a.m.

AWOL Inmate Arrested, Returned To Jail

A Sun Prairie resident and Dane County Jail inmate that was declared AWOL has been arrested, according to the Dane County Sheriff's Office.

Justin W. Beasley, 27, did not return to the jail after attending an educational class on Jan. 12, sheriff's officials said.

Beasley, who is serving a sentence for disorderly conduct, was located at an area restaurant and taken back into custody by the Madison Police Department, without incident. 

Beasley was booked back in to jail around 10 p.m. on Friday. He now faces charges of absconding and violation of a probation, authorities said.

4 OWI Arrests Made Thursday Morning

4 OWI Arrests Made Thursday Morning

In might have been a Wednesday night, but Dane County Sheriff Deputies said it felt more like a weekend after they made four operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated arrests from late Wednesday night into the early morning hours of Thursday. 

At about 12:55 a.m. on Thursday, a resident reported that a man was sleeping in his van in a driveway on the 4600 block of Pierceville Road in the town of Sun Prairie, deputies said. They said they found Daniel D. Dean, 36, of Madison, asleep in the driver's seat with the vehicle running. Dean was arrested on a fourth-offense OWI charge, operating after suspension, felony bail jumping and possession of a schedule 4 narcotic, police said.

2 Drivers Facing OWI Charges After Head-On Crash

2 Drivers Facing OWI Charges After Head-On Crash

Both drivers involved in a head-on crash Sunday morning in Sun Prairie are now facing drunken driving charges.

Dane County deputies and Sun Prairie police responded to County Highway N, just North of Bailey Road in the town of Sun Prairie, around 3 a.m. Sunday for a two-vehicle crash.

Officials said Kimberly Bethke, 27, of Sun Praire, was traveling northbound when she crossed the center line and crashed head-on into a Dodge Durango.

Bethke was taken to UW Hospital with non-life threatening injuries and arrested on charges of operating while intoxicated-second offense. She also received several other citations, including inattentive driving, according to the sheriff's department.