Wis. Crime Alert Network helps police nab sexual assault suspect

MADISON -- Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced Monday, September 24th the Wisconsin Crime Alert Network helped police to arrest a suspect following a sexual assault in Big Bend.

Big Bend Police officials say an alert was issued on September 21st through the network in reference to a sexual assault that occurred a day earlier.  The victim had reported being sexually assaulted by an individual who was selling magazines door-to-door.

The Mukwonago Police Department received the alert, and then contacted Big Bend police to report that a resident had contacted their department to report a door-to-door salesman whose behavior was suspicious. 

The individual’s description matched the description of the suspect involved in the assault in Big Bend. 

Mukwonago police located a group of door-to-door magazine salespeople who were in the area and worked for the same company as the suspect. This group provided information about the location of the suspect, who was arrested on September 22nd by the Milwaukee Police Department.

“This was the first WCAN alert issued by the Big Bend Police Department, and through an alert citizen and old fashioned police work, combined with new technology, investigators were able to track down a suspect in this case and possibly, prevent further victimization," Van Hollen said in a statement.

With the WCAN, law enforcement officers issue alerts at no cost to them either by fax, e-mail or text message to individuals and business owners, who may enroll online to receive alerts at a cost of $12 a year.  Officers may choose from more than 50 categories, such as pharmacies or convenience stores, when issuing their targeted crime alerts across the county, a multi-county region or statewide.

To enroll or to learn more about WCAN, CLICK HERE.