A 34-year-old Bonduel man had to be rescued from the Wolf River after he was initially scared off from an alleged attempted burglary at a nearby home on Thanksgiving Day.
Justin M. Wilber faces one count of burglary and two counts of bail jumping after being pulled from the river by local fire and EMS personnel.
Shawano County Sheriff’s Deputy Ayden Hale responded to an attempted burglary call at 6:54 a.m. Nov. 28. According to the report, the homeowners first saw someone on the property on their security camera, then found a man in the garage who fled when confronted. The door to the homeowners’ truck was found to be open as well.
While searching the area, Hale said he heard a voice from an area of thick brush near the water’s edge. Following the sound of the voice, Hale located Wilber 10 to 15 feet from the shoreline.
Wilber said he fell through the ice; he was stuck and said he was too cold to walk out of the water.
Hale called the fire department for a boat rescue. An EMS crew was also paged due to hypothermia concerns.
Once apprehended, Wilber told deputies he was trying to get across the river and fell through the ice. He resurfaced and tried to hide from the deputies and homeowners, as he also tried to get back to dry land.
According to the report, Wilber said that the night before, he was driving down back roads and listening to music when his car got stuck on a dead end road. He then walked for two hours, was cold and tired and went into the unlocked garage to warm up.
Wilber made an initial appearance in Shawano County Circuit Court on Dec. 2. Cash bond was set at $100. His next court date is Feb. 4, 2025.
kpasson@newmedia-wi.com
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