Two Wisconsin prison inmates who escaped last week were captured Wednesday near Hollywood, Florida. A security guard spotted 18-year-old James Misleveck and 29-year-old James Newman cruising around the Hard Rock Casino parking garage. When police tried to stop them, the cops say they sped off, then jumped out of the car, and Newman climbed a tree before he was taken down by a police dog. Misleveck was found hiding in a backyard, and was arrested without incident. They’ll be extradited to Wisconsin to face charges, on accusations they stole cars and a weapon, and held a woman at gunpoint.
Newman and Misleveck were close to being released, when they left a boot camp program eight days ago at the minimum-security prison at Black River Falls. Right after they left, they allegedly went on a crime spree in which they stole four vehicles and a shotgun, kidnapped a casino employee at gunpoint, stole $500 before releasing her, and led police on a chase which resulted in a large manhunt near Tomah.
Misleveck was just ending a prison term on Juneau County convictions of car theft, arson, and burglary. Newman was doing time for shooting an assault rifle at his former girlfriend’s home in Brown County in 2009.
Brian Brawner, WWIS, Black River Falls/Dustin Weis, WIOD, Miami