WAUKESHA COUNTY — A high-speed pursuit came to end on eastbound I-94 near Moorland Road in Brookfield, Sunday morning, Feb. 2.

Officials with the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the pursuit reached speeds over 100 miles per hour.

It wasn’t immediately clear what prompted the pursuit — or whether there were any injuries or arrests at the scene.

GENESEE — The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department has asked for help identifying a burglary suspect.

Authorities say a Town of Genesee resident reported that a suspect came into his home on Depot Hill Road through the garage the afternoon of Jan. 21. Once in the home, the resident said that the suspect called out to ask if anyone was home. When the resident answered, the suspect left the scene in a gray, Ford F150 pickup truck. The resident reported missing items from the home and it is not known at this time how long the suspect was inside.

Contact police at 262-896-8140 with any information.

(Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department)

(Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department)

(Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department)

WAUKESHA COUNTY — The next time the snow is flying and you’re approaching a snow plow, be sure to give that driver a little extra room.

The Waukesha County shared a tweet that shows how plow drivers have reduced fields of vision when they’re behind the wheel and dealing with windy conditions. The example below was from a driver in Nashotah.

Law enforcement often reminders drivers to slow down and allow extra time to get to a destination in wintry conditions. By doing so, you will also give plow drivers the best opportunity to clear the road for your own safe travel.

BROOKFIELD — A Wauwatosa man, 31, was killed when he was struck by a semi on I-94, east of Barker Road in the Town of Brookfield Sunday morning, Feb. 16.

It happened just before 6:30 a.m.

Sheriff’s officials said the semi was driven by a 52-year-old man and was headed westbound. The driver stayed on scene — cooperating with investigators.

WB I-94 near Moorland Road

WB I-94 near Moorland Road

The interstate was shut down for approximately four hours.

WALES — Officials with the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday, Feb. 19 asked for help identifying a man who robbed the Pick ‘n Save store on Wales Road in the Village of Wales.

The crime happened on Tuesday, Feb. 18, around 6:30 p.m.

Sheriff’s officials said there were no injuries. The store had to be closed temporarily during the investigation but reopened Tuesday night.

The vehicle involved was described as a light-colored, full-size pickup truck with a ladder rack.

Anyone with information was asked to please contact the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department.

WAUKESHA — An 18-year-old Waukesha man has been charged with homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle.

According to a criminal complaint, Daniel Lazaro was driving a van at Minooka County Park in the Town of Waukesha on June 9, 2019 with another person riding on the outside of the van. That person fell off the car onto the paved parking lot and was taken to the hospital where he died on June 10. An autopsy later revealed the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head.

Lazaro, the deceased and three others were together at the time of the incident. One of the other individuals told police that the group was on a “chill drive” when the deceased opened the door and proceeded to partially hang outside of the van while in the parking lot to “feel the air” when he fell out. Lazaro stopped the van and the group went to the deceased who was bleeding and unresponsive on the parking lot pavement. They placed him in the van and drove him to the hospital for treatment.

Another person in the van at the time of the incident told police that the deceased was holding onto the van’s roof rack with his feet still on the floor of the van before he fell off. That person estimated the driver, Lazaro, was going around 20 or 25 miles per hour at the time and making “normal” turns.

The complaint states that Lazaro confirmed that the deceased was holding onto the van’s roof rack while he was driving, that he had done so five or six times in the past and that he did not intentionally cause him to fall off the van. Lazaro also stated that they were “just trying to be boys” and that he wasn’t really paying attention because he was driving.

Lazaro was 17 at the time of the incident.

WAUKESHA -- Two people were fatally stabbed on Oak Grove Lane in the Town of Waukesha Tuesday night, March 10, the Waukesha County sheriff said Tuesday night. Two others were hurt. One person was arrested.

Sheriff Eric Severson said they were called out around 6:45 p.m. for a domestic disturbance and "remarks that led us to believe there might be a stabbing in progress." The sheriff noted "a lot of dead air on the call," and first responders found the four victims at the scene.

A man was arrested. He was on scene when first responders arrived.

2 dead, 2 hurt in stabbing on Oak Grove Lane in Waukesha; 1 arrested

Sheriff Severson would not elaborate on the victims, as family was still being notified Tuesday night.

"I do want to express our condolences to the families that are involved in this incident," said Sheriff Severson. "This is a tragic case. Our office and the other law enforcement and fire agencies also want to express their condolences, and we're going to do everything we can to continue this investigation, and respect the family's privacy."

He did say there's no reason to believe anyone else was involved in this incident, and there's no active or ongoing threat in the area.

"We have every reason to believe this is a lone actor," said Severson.

2 dead, 2 hurt in stabbing on Oak Grove Lane in Waukesha; 1 arrested

The incident remains under investigation by the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office.

TOWN OF WAUKESHA -- A quadruple stabbing in the Town of Waukesha Tuesday night, March 10 ended with the deaths of two women and the hospitalization of two other women. Police said a man was arrested at the scene.

2 dead, 2 hurt in quadruple stabbing in Town of Waukesha

A call for help led to a gruesome discovery. Neighbors told FOX6 News they were home cooking when they saw their neighbor hiding in the backyard. She told them, "My son-in-law stabbed me!"

Officials with the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department said they arrested a man on the scene. In total, four women were stabbed.

On Wednesday, March 11, officials released the names of the victims -- Dominique Roth, 34, and Deidre Popanda, 26. The survivors, ages 36 and 62, were recovering from their injuries.

2 dead, 2 hurt in quadruple stabbing in Town of Waukesha

"It's kind of scary seeing crime tape three houses down the street. It's kind of terrifying," said Michele Anzivino, a neighbor.

2 dead, 2 hurt in quadruple stabbing in Town of Waukesha

Those living in what is considered a secluded and quiet part of town were shaken by the violence.

Authorities remained on the scene Wednesday sorting through evidence. Neighbors told FOX6 News the home is a rental property -- and there were never issues there until Tuesday night.

"I would have never expected something like this to happen, but it can happen anywhere," said a neighbor.

Many Wednesday were thinking of a young child who ran for help.

2 dead, 2 hurt in quadruple stabbing in Town of Waukesha

"It's terrifying. I can't imagine a 10-year-old living through that," the neighbor said.

Sheriff's officials did not release additional information on the suspect or motive Wednesday.

MILWAUKEE -- With Wisconsin in a public health emergency, now Milwaukee County is canceling jury duty -- and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections is shutting down all visits to state prisons. It comes amid a wave of cancellations for schools, sports, and church.

Because of the coronavirus crisis, the CDC recommends people keep six feet away from each other. But that is not possible in a jury room -- where potential jurors gather ahead of a trial. Normally, those rooms are packed. Milwaukee County Clerk of Circuit Court John Barrett helped make the decision to shut down court for now.

"We are trying to make sure that people don't get sick. We think that the public health interest is much greater at this point in time than other interests," Barrett said.

Jury room at Milwaukee County Courthouse

Jurors already on trials in Milwaukee County should still show up. Those summoned from Monday, March 16 through April 3 are free to stay home.

"We are going to consider people who were summoned during that time period to have satisfied their duty. And they will be given the four-year hiatus," Barrett said.

But the screen will be on at Racine County Jail -- where they are shutting down their normal public visitation. They, like Milwaukee County, are replacing it with video chat. State prisons will also allow phone and video calls.

Waukesha County

Waukesha County has declared a state of emergency regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

In consultation with Chief Judge Jennifer Dorow and the Waukesha County Judges, jury services scheduled from March 16 through April 12 are canceled.  Jurors summoned for this time period should not report to the Courthouse for jury service.  Due to the severity of the risk posed to the public these precautions are necessary for the health, safety, protection and welfare of persons in Waukesha County.

Any jurors scheduled to appear after April 12 will be provided with updates.  For updates on juror service please visit the following website waukeshacounty.gov/juryservices .  General courts inquiries should be directed to 262-970-6676.

Additionally, the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department announced that public visitations at the Waukesha County Jail will be suspended starting March 16 until further notice with the exception of professional and attorney visits.

PEWAUKEE — The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office was involved in a short pursuit of a suspect Wednesday, March 25 around 11:20 a.m. in Pewaukee.

Authorities say the suspect fled on eastbound I-94 near Meadowbrook Road before striking the back of a Pewaukee Fire Department ambulance. The ambulance had two employees and no patients on board.

After striking the ambulance, officials say the suspect also hit a chain-link fence on the south side of I-94 and the driver took off on foot. The driver, a 20-year-old man, was taken into custody and a passenger, a 19-year-old woman was taken to the hospital for injuries. Two other passengers in the suspect vehicle — a 19-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman, were also taken into custody and later released.

Eastbound I-94 was partially shut down for approximately one hour as a result of the incident.

PEWAUKEE — Two Waukesha County sheriff’s deputies were hurt during a traffic stop on Monday evening, April 6 in Pewaukee.

It happened shortly before 7:30 p.m., when a deputy stopped a suspected impaired driver in the area of Capitol Drive and Cecelia Drive. Sheriff’s officials said the 28-year-old man “was immediately non-compliant and argumentative upon contact.”

While the deputy waited for backup, sheriff’s official said the driver exited his vehicle assaulted the deputy, causing a laceration to his forearm, as well as contusions to his head, hip and knees.

The driver continued to fight upon the arrival of other deputies, causing a knee injury to a second deputy, sheriff’s officials said.

Police from Pewaukee and Brookfield responded to assist, and a knife was recovered on scene.

The two injured deputies were taken to the hospital by the Pewaukee Fire Department, where they were treated and released.

The driver was not hurt during the incident — and was booked into jail on charges of substantial battery, battery to a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and attempting to disarm a peace officer.

WAUKESHA — The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday, April 8 reported that an inmate at the county jail has tested positive for COVID-19.

Officials with the sheriff’s department, along with the Waukesha County Jail, said they are following all guidelines set forth by the public health director.

The inmate is a 41-year-old man. No additional details about the inmate, including how many people may have been in contact with him, are being released “given the sensitive nature of the individual’s medical records” according to the sheriff’s department.

Adam Roth

WAUKESHA COUNTY — Officials with the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday, April 8 announced charges in connection with a March 10 stabbing that left two women dead and two others hospitalized.

Adam Roth, 36, of Waukesha was charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, one count of first-degree recklessly endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon and one count of mistreatment of animals, causing death, use of a dangerous weapon.

The stabbing on Oak Grove Lane near Green Country Road in the Town of Waukesha  took the lives of Dominique Roth, 34, and Deidre Popanda, 26. The survivors were women ages 62 and 36.

According to a criminal complaint, deputies were dispatched around 6:45 p.m. on March 10. On the call, authorities said they could hear a man and woman yelling, and the caller said that a man was “going crazy” and “trying to stab” people inside the home.

When deputies arrived at the scene, a woman was found bleeding at the end of the driveway, and another woman was bleeding against a truck. One of the women told deputies something to the effect of, “He’s stabbing them inside,” according to the complaint.

2 dead, 2 hurt in quadruple stabbing in Town of Waukesha

At the front door of the home, deputies found “a large amount of blood” on the staircase and hallway. A deputy shouted into the home and man — later identified as Roth — stepped out from the upstairs hallway. The complaint stated he was covered in blood and holding a “large” knife, later confirmed to have blood on it. After multiple commands to drop the knife, Roth did as instructed, put his hands above his head and said: “Alright, I’m done now,” the complaint said.

Deputies entered the home and found a woman — later identified as Dominique Roth — with several wounds, repeatedly saying, “Help me.” Fire department personnel arrived at the scene and attempted to stabilize her, but she could not be revived and was later pronounced dead.

As deputies continued to work their way through the residence, they found a second victim — later identified as Deidre Popanda — in the bathroom. She appeared to be deceased, according to the complaint.

A dog was found dead at the residence, as well.

One of the victims who deputies found alive in the driveway told authorities that Roth was acting strange and talking about “weird stuff” before leaving the home the night of the incident. She said when he returned, she heard screaming from the kitchen and that Roth used a kitchen knife to stab everyone in the house, according to the complaint. The victim said that she hit Roth over the head with a chair after witnessing him stab Dominique, but he got up, went to the bathroom and began stabbing Popanda. There, the two surviving victims attempted to wrestle the knife away from him but were unsuccessful. The victim also told authorities that Adam was saying, “They did this to me” repeatedly while stabbing the victims.

2 dead, 2 hurt in quadruple stabbing in Town of Waukesha

The second victim who deputies found alive in the driveway also said that Roth had been acting strange. According to the complaint, she said he was “acting obsessive for the last several weeks about the coronavirus.” The morning before the stabbings, she said Roth woke everyone up around 5 a.m., said how much he loved them and that he was sorry about everything that he has said and done to everyone. Before 6 a.m., she said Roth’s behavior was escalating — he was going to take all of the home’s personal protective equipment to the hospital because “they needed it more.” Later that night, she said, she witnessed Roth begin stabbing the first victim in the kitchen, the complaint stated.

During the attack, the complaint stated Roth began looking for a 9-year-old boy who lived at the home. Three of the victims tried to stop Roth, allowing the boy enough to time to run to a neighbor’s house for help.

Once in custody, Roth told deputies “I did it. I killed them” and something to the effect of, “This is what happens when you take too many illicit drugs.” He also told deputies, “This is all their fault. They did this to me.” At the hospital, Roth said: “The coronavirus was going to get them, so I had to kill them.” He also said he tried to get the 9-year-old boy.

The next day, Roth told a detective that he had to “save them” from the coronavirus because they couldn’t get sick and had been outside. The complaint stated that Roth made multiple references to “helping” those who he had stabbed.

Roth made his initial appearance in court on Wednesday. Cash bond was set at $500,000, and a preliminary hearing was set for April 17.

WAUKESHA COUNTY — A correctional officer at the Waukesha County Jail tested positive for the coronavirus, officials with the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department announced Thursday, April 9.

The sheriff’s department was notified Wednesday.

Sheriff’s officials noted they, along with jail officials “are following all guidelines set forth by the public health director.”

On Wednesday, sheriff’s officials reported a jail inmate, a 41-year-old man, tested positive for COVID-19. No additional details about the inmate, including how many people may have been in contact with him, were released “given the sensitive nature of the individual’s medical records” according to the sheriff’s department.

Danielle Grooms

WAUKESHA COUNTY — Danielle Grooms, 23, of Watertown, was placed on five years of probation for her role in a fatal 2016 Waukesha County crash. As part of that order, she will serve one year in jail with credit for 74 days.

She faced charges of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle and reckless driving causing great bodily harm.

According to a criminal complaint, Waukesha County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a crash on CTH NN near Jordan Trail in the Town of Eagle the night of August 5, 2016. There, authorities said a motorcyclist was struck and killed — pronounced dead at the scene — by a vehicle headed westbound in the eastbound lane. Another motorcyclist, an off-duty police officer, was injured.

Also at the scene, deputies spoke with the driver of a Mitsubishi sedan. The driver told deputies that another attempted to pass her when that driver hit the motorcyclist. Deputies found that vehicle, a Pontiac sedan and the driver — identified as Grooms — approximately 500 feet from the main scene of the crash. The complaint states that the vehicle had extensive front-end damage.

The section of road where the crash happened is a no-passing zone in both directions with no shoulders, one lane of traffic in each direction and a hill just east of the scene, the complaint states. Grooms later told deputies that she did attempt to pass another driver and did not know how fast she was going.

The off-duty officer involved in the crash told deputies that the victim had no time to react and nowhere to go because of the timing and location of the crash.

WAUKESHA -- One person is dead and another severely injured following a wrong-way crash on I-94 in Waukesha County late Tuesday night, April 14. It happened around 11:30 p.m. near Meadowbrook Road.

Initial investigation revealed that a sedan driven by a 30-year-old man was traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of traffic on I-94. This sedan struck a vehicle traveling eastbound -- which was operated by a 24-year-old woman.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the striking vehicle was transported to Waukesha Memorial Hospital with severe injuries.

A witness, who did not want to be named, is still trying to make sense of what happened. They called 911, thankful that they were safe and that the wrong-way driver had pulled over. The relief was short-lived.

"He stopped for a second and I thought okay, they are going to turn around and go the right way, and then they shot out over to the fast lane and started headed down 94 going the wrong direction," the witness said. "All you could hear was a smash. He hit her head on."

The incident remains under investigation by Wisconsin State Patrol and the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office.

The names of those involved are being withheld due to pending notification of the family.

The interstate was shut down for approximately four hours. It has since been opened and traffic is resuming as normal.

WAUKESHA COUNTY — Waukesha County sheriff’s deputies arrested a man for reckless driving following a pursuit Tuesday afternoon, April 21.

Authorities were notified of a reckless driver headed eastbound on I-94 near the Waukesha/Jefferson County line around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. Delafield police officers later spotted the suspect vehicle and attempted to pull him over, but the driver sped away leading officers on a pursuit.

Near I-94 and Meadowbrook Road, sheriff’s deputies deployed a tire deflation device. Just east, the driver attempted to exit at the next off-ramp, Grandview Boulevard, but lost control and crashed into a wetland to the southwest of the intersection.

The driver was then taken into custody. No injuries reported to the suspect or law enforcement officers.

DELAFIELD — A woman was killed and three others hurt, including two children, when a vehicle struck a tree and started on fire in Delafield Sunday, April 26.

It happened near the entrance to Lapham Peak State Park on County Highway C in the Town of Delafield.

Waukesha County sheriff’s officials said the 30-year-old woman driving the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. She has been identified as Grace Rutkowski. A 30-year-old man who was a passenger, along with two children, ages 3 and 6 months, were taken to the hospital. The extent of injuries was not immediately clear.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Cole Mitchell

WAUKESHA COUNTY — A Michigan man facing homicide charges in connection with a fatal wrong-way crash on I-94 near Meadowbrook Road in Pewaukee on April 14 told investigators “people were chasing him,” according to prosecutors. Eliana Winterbauer-Light, 24, of Milwaukee, was pronounced dead at the scene of the head-on crash.

Cole Mitchell, 30, of Sanford, Michigan faces one count of first-degree reckless homicide, and three counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety.

According to a criminal complaint, around 11:30 p.m., deputies were advised of a vehicle headed westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-94. Near Highway T, a deputy spotted a semi with its trailer in lane one, and its cab near the median — a crash scene nearby. Winterbauer-Light’s vehicle was found with its back half up on the median wall, and its tires on the ground. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The vehicle prosecutors said Mitchell was driving was found with severe front-end damage, and ended up starting on fire at the scene. The complaint said witnesses helped deputies extinguish it.

Mitchell was found at the scene with an apparent broken ankle, according to the complaint, and had to be helped away from his burning vehicle by deputies and witnesses after indicating he could not walk. As that was happening, prosecutors said he asked a deputy twice if he had a gun. When asked why he needed to know, Mitchell responded, “They’re trying to kill us,” according to the complaint.

The complaint said Mitchell was uncooperative as officials tried to get him on a stretcher so that he could receive medical treatment, with prosecutors noting he yelled about a net being in the roadway. Two rounds of sedatives had to be administered in order to get him on the stretcher for transport to the hospital.

Fatal wrong-way crash on I-94 near Meadowbrook Road in Pewaukee

Three witnesses spoke with investigators regarding the crash — one estimating both vehicles were traveling at approximately 70 miles per hour — Winterbauer-Light’s vehicle thrown into the air as a result of the impact. After it landed on the median wall, the witness ran over to try to help, but couldn’t reach Winterbauer-Light.

A highway department worker operating a sweeper truck said he spotted the wrong-way driver, and tried to position his sweeper truck to block the shoulder and part of lane three, but the driver swerved to the left, leaving the roadway and driving in the ditch, before accelerating around the sweeper truck, and the spotter truck behind it. The highway department worker then lost sight of the vehicle.

Investigators spoke with Mitchell at the hospital on April 16, two days after the crash. According to the complaint, he said he was on an on-ramp when “a bunch of people whipped around him” and “he was trying to get away.”

Fatal wrong-way crash on I-94 near Meadowbrook Road in Pewaukee

He said “as he was screaming down the on-ramp, they started whipping up and pulling near him.” He said while trying to get away, “a semi pulled up and got nose to butt, and started screaming at him full throttle.” He said he “went to the middle,” but “the middle guy came at him, so he hit the brakes, skirted back and forth and slid by him.” He said he was going to go into the ditch, and “couldn’t get to another road because there was a building in the way.” He said “they slid right in front of him, and he got hit,” and he “did that for three straight days.”

When asked if he was driving with a purpose, he said, “Am I just driving around? Are you serious? Are you gonna play that game?” He then added that he had been driving around in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan in the days prior to the crash, prosecutors said.

When asked who “they” were that were chasing him, Mitchell said, “Right, that’s going to further my case,” the complaint said.

Prosecutors said Mitchell told investigators “they were going to have three cannibals cannibalize him, so he wanted to die, but didn’t have the balls to do it.” He recalled walking around on one leg asking “(expletives) for guns” — advising that when he asked the deputy if he had a gun, “I should’ve just took it right there from him. That looked like a soft cop. I could’ve gotten it away from him.”

The complaint said Mitchell was aware he was driving wrong way on a “big interstate.”

Prosecutors noted in the complaint deputies did not notice an odor of alcohol coming from Mitchell at the scene, and he denied taking any drugs, but “did not clearly answer whether he was taking any medications as prescribed.”

In a subsequent interview on April 20, the complaint said Mitchell indicated he was driving the wrong way “because people were chasing him.” When advised that traffic camera video showed no one had been chasing him, Mitchell said, “Not to be sarcastic, but it’s all in my head,” according to the complaint. He said when he stops at gas stations, “people always ask him if he knows he’s being followed.”

Mitchell made his initial appearance in court Wednesday. Cash bond was set at $250,000, and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for June 3.

EAGLE — A device believed to be a makeshift alarm system prompted a police response on East Main Street in the Village of Eagle Tuesday, May 5.

Police responded to a home in the area around 12:30 p.m. — with help from the Milwaukee Police Department’s Hazardous Devices Unit, the FBI, ATF, the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department and other law enforcement and fire departments.

The public was asked to avoid the area during the investigation.

Following an inspection of the device by hazardous devices personnel, police revealed that, “Although unusual in nature, officials believe that the device was a makeshift alarm system. Our agency continues to investigate.”