BURNETT COUNTY -- A criminal complaint has been filed in Burnett County Circuit Court charging Minnesota man, Jonathan Laboda, with a recent break-in at the Tesora Restaurant in Siren, WI.
On December 22, 2018 at around 8a, the Burnett County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a man wearing a ski mask had been seen inside the Tesora Restaurant breaking into the cash machine and then leaving in a gold colored minivan or SUV. The manager of Tesora later told law enforcement that a safe had been stolen from the restaurant containing $2,000 along with approximately $900 in cash missing from the restaurant’s cash registers.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Burnett County Circuit Court, the Deputy who responded to the call spotted a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle. The Deputy caught up with the vehicle, which was travelling northbound on Highway 35, and turned on the squad car’s emergency lights, at which time the suspect vehicle accelerated rapidly.
The suspect vehicle then went through the ditch, travelling sideways onto the southbound lane of Highway 35 and nearly colliding with another southbound vehicle before heading to the median and then north on Highway 35. The Deputy then lost sight of the vehicle, however a short time later a call was received from a witness who said that the suspect vehicle had turned on to their driveway on Highway 35 south of County D.
When the Deputy arrived at the residence, he could see fresh tire tracks which indicated that a vehicle had left the highway at a high rate of speed while turning on the driveway. The property owner told the Deputy that the suspect vehicle had come flying down the driveway, and crashed into a gate which led to a road through the woods.
The Deputy followed the vehicle tracks to a field behind Affordable Auto, where he found the suspect vehicle, and noted that it now had different license plates on it than when he had first spotted the vehicle. There were fresh footprints leading to the vehicle, however no one was found inside.
On the front seat of the vehicle, the Deputy found pay stubs which appeared to be from the Tesora Restaurant . While searching the area for the suspect, law enforcement found a black hat, a black ski mask, some cash, and a white tie strap which appeared to be from a bathrobe.
The criminal complaint goes on to state that a short time later, the suspect was located in the Village of Siren at a residence on Midtown Road and taken into custody.
The man was identified as Jonathan Laboda, of Vadnais Heights, MN. When Laboda was placed under arrest, he was wearing a white robe consistent with the white tie strap that had been located in the wood during the search and tracking of the suspect. Laboda allegedly told law enforcement that he had swallowed a bag of heroin.
Law enforcement found a total of $2,930 in cash in Laboda’s pocket at the time he was arrested; also located were receipts and till slips from the Tesora Restaurant.
Laboda is facing charges of Class F Felony Burglary of a Building or Dwelling; Class I Felony Attempting to Flee or Elude an Officer; and Misdemeanor Criminal Damage to Property.
Online circuit court records show that Laboda was placed on a $2,500 cash bail bond at a hearing on December 26, 2018. He made an initial appearance on January 2, 2019, while in custody, regarding his criminal charges and is scheduled to appear again next week.
Pursuant to the direction of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as found in Supreme Court Rule 20:3.6, Trial Publicly, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Last Update: Jan 04, 2019 4:55 pm CST
