Sheriff says inmates likely left area - WXOW News 19 La Crosse, WI – News, Weather and Sports |

TOMAH, Wisconsin (WXOW) -- Monroe County Sheriff Peter Quirin says he believes the two escaped inmates, 18-year old James Misleveck and 29-year old James Newman, have fled Monroe County.

Sheriff Quirin says his office received a call around 5 AM Thursday from a man reporting a stolen vehicle. According to Sheriff Quirin, sometime between 11 PM Wednesday and 5 AM Thursday, the man's black Chrysler Concord, license plate 728-TDX, was stolen. The man lives in the Town of Clifton, and had left the keys in the car. Quirin tells WXOW that the location of the stolen vehicle is about a mile and a half from Wednesday's search area.

The Sheriff says he believes the two men are no longer in Monroe County. Quirin says officers are out patrolling but the majority of the search has been called off.

Sheriff Quirin says the two men should still be considered armed and dangerous.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOMAH, Wisconsin (WXOW) -- Monroe County Dispatch says the search for 18-year old James Misleveck and 29-year old James Newman has been scaled back for the night. 

The bulk of the 30 to 35 officers who participated in today's search have gone home and are no longer under incident command. 

But dispatch says there will be a police presence will be kept overnight in the area where the two men are suspected of hiding. 

Monroe County Sheriff Pete Quirin says the search will continue until the men or found or officers can confirm that they have left the area. 

Police Wednesday focused on what Quirin calls a roughly 500-acre area of land off of Tomah's Highway 131. Officers from Monroe County, Tomah, Sparta, Juneau County and La Crosse County participated in the search -- which included both "beating the brush," as Quirin calls searching the area for hiding spots, as well as going house to house to warn local residents.

Quirin says some homes were also temporarily emptied and searched. 

Monroe County Dispatch says no definitive plans are in place as to how and when the search will resume Thursday.  

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOMAH, WI (WXOW) - UPDATE: Monroe County Chief Deputy Lisa Josvai is asking residents on the Eastern side of Monroe County to use "extreme caution".  She says residents in Tomah and Oakdale should lock their home and car doors.

Authorities are still looking for 18-year-old James Misleveck and 29-year-old James Newman.

Officials say they walked out of the Black River Correctional Center in the Town of Komensky at approximately 11:15 Tuesday night.

They were last seen when they stole a black pick-up truck from Sparta and ditched it in a corn field near Ironclad Ave outside of Tomah.

Authorities are searching for the inmates in the air and on ground.

We will have the latest tonight on our 5, 6 and 10 o'clock shows.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jackson County, WI (WXOW) - UPDATE: According to Monroe County Sheriff Peter Quirin, the two inmates who are missing from Black River Correctional Center are in the Tomah area.

Authorities say 18-year-old James Misleveck and 29-year-old James Newman walked out of the Center in the Town of Komensky at approximately 11:15 Tuesday night.

Quirin told News 19 that the suspects forced a woman to drive them, in her car, to Sparta.

She was dropped off safely at the Sparta Kwik Trip.

Quirin says the inmates then stole a black pick-up truck in that area and took off on Interstate 90 towards Tomah.

Officers say they took the Tomah exit, turned onto Ironclad Ave and drove into the woods.

Quirin says the inmates ditched the stolen pickup and a gun at a nearby corn field around 9:50 Wednesday morning.

Officers surrounded the pickup and by 12:30 Wednesday afternoon they discovered the pickup was empty.

According to Sheriff Quirin officers from several local departments are searching the area and a 400 to 500 acre woods by foot.  They are also, knocking on homeowners doors.

If anyone sees these two individuals they should contact local law enforcement immediately.

Do not approach them or attempt to take any other action.

News 19 has a crew on the scene and will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jackson County, WI (WXOW) - The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is looking for two inmates who are missing from the Black River Correctional Center.

Authorities say 18-year-old James Misleveck and 29-year-old James Newman walked out of the Center in the Town of Komensky at approximately 11:15 Tuesday night.

Deputies from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office responded to the Correctional Center and a search of the area was conducted without success.

At about 6 this morning Jackson County Sheriff's Office received a report of a theft from a vehicle in the area of the Correctional Center. Taken from the vehicle was a shotgun and ammunition. It is unclear at this time if the escaped inmates are connected to this theft.

Misleveck and Newman were last seen wearing tan t-shirts, gray shorts and tennis shoes.

Misleveck is 6 feet tall weighing 200lbs with brown hair and brown eyes.

Newman is 5 feet 9 inches tall weighing 165 lbs with brown hair and brown eyes. 

If anyone sees these two individuals they should contact local law enforcement immediately.

Do not approach them or attempt to take any other action.