Five men arrested in Green Bay are responsible for a large number of business break-ins around the state. Portage County Sheriff Mike Lukas was in Outagamie County Monday, where numerous law enforcement agencies announced the capture of the burglars.
Lukas says many agencies working together solved many burglaries. “In regards to a ring of burglars that were caught over in Green Bay, through collaborative efforts, Stevens Point police, Plover police, and the Sheriff’s office were able to solve five in our county, and we have other ones that are still being investigated, but through the ring, there’s twenty to twenty-five already that are solved.”
The five suspects had a pattern, and traveled extensively in their crime spree. “The range from Green Bay-DePere to Mauston, Shiocton, Plover, Stevens Point, Portage County, Outagamie County, so it wasn’t just a localized gang of people. It was actually five individuals that went across the state and were doing these burglaries.”
Lukas says In Portage County alone, these men were responsible for cash thefts at Shooters in Plover, Point Supply, Stash’s Little White Inn in Stevens Point, Little Caesars Pizza in Stevens Point, and Subway in Plover. “These individuals cased the joints, and were looking just for mainly cash and safes, and got away with a lot of money in a lot of these businesses.”
The Sheriff says the five burglars did not always work the same crime scene, but were definitely using their proven methods to get to the cash.
Five people are behind bars now. 42-year-old Robert Hammes, 36-year-old Nickolas Smith, and 22-year-old Tasheena Hawpetoss have been charged. Additional charges are being prepared against two others.
WSAU
