Press Release February 5, 2024 - Burglary

PRESS RELEASE

Incident #: 24-1631                                         Type: Burglary/Pursuit

Date: February 5, 2024                      

Released by: Chief Joel Christensen         Contact Person: Captain Alvin Brandl

Narrative

On Saturday, February 3, 2024, at approximately 5:53 PM, the Walworth County Communications Center received a 9-1-1 call from a homeowner in the 400 block of Fair Meadow Lane reporting their residence was being burglarized. The caller was not home but was watching live video from their residence that captured the burglary in progress.

Officers from the Elkhorn Police Department arrived at approximately 5:55 PM and an officer observed a suspicious vehicle leaving the area of the burglary. The officer followed the vehicle and attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Highway 11 by the Elkhorn Area Middle School, however the vehicle failed to stop, and a pursuit ensued.

The vehicle turned south, onto E. Market Street to E. Geneva Street, where the vehicle turned east, through the median, and then immediately south onto Highway H, at speeds in excess of 90 MPH. Upon approaching the City of Lake Geneva, the vehicle turned east onto Cemetery Road, which turns into Madison Street, and then turned east onto Grant Street, south onto Williams Street and then south on Edwards Boulevard. On Edwards Boulevard, the vehicle attempted to pass a pickup on the right, but struck the curb, lost control, and hit the back passenger side corner of the pickup and entered the northbound lane of traffic when it was struck by another vehicle on the White River bridge.

The occupants immediately fled from the vehicle and ran onto US Highway 12. One occupant was apprehended on the side of Highway 12, after the officer deployed their Taser®. Two other occupants were taken into custody shortly thereafter with assistance of K9’s and officers from the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office and Delavan Police Department, as well officers and drones from the Town of Linn and City of Lake Geneva Police Departments.

There was only minor damage to the pickup that was struck, however both the fleeing vehicle and the vehicle traveling northbound on Edwards Boulevard suffered disabling damage. There were two occupants in the northbound vehicle, both suffered minor injuries, one of which was transported to a local medical facility and released. The occupant of the pickup reported no injuries, and the crash investigation was completed by the Wisconsin State Patrol.

The burglary and subsequent pursuit are not related to the double homicide investigation from February 1, 2024. The three individuals taken into custody, are believed to be part of a larger organized group that target the homes of Asian business owners. Taken into custody include a 16-year-old boy from Chicago, arrested for burglary and resisting arrest. Jame Rodriguez, 31, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, arrested for party to burglary, fleeing causing injury, contributing to the delinquency of a child, and resisting arrest. Harol Canter Rocha, 24, of Palatine, Illinois, arrested for burglary, possession of burglarious tools, contributing to the delinquency of a child, criminal damage and resisting arrest.  

The homeowners reported nothing appeared to have been taken from the residence and investigation into the incident is on-going.

Pursuant to the directive of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as found in Supreme Court Rule 20:3.6, Trial Publicity, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.