SAWYER COUNTY -- Criminal charges have been filed against a Hayward, WI man and woman following an incident on March 8, 2018, in which the Impound Lot of the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Tribal Police Department was broken into and batteries were stolen out of multiple vehicles stored inside the fenced-in lot.
David A. Belille, Sr.
David A. Belille, Sr. is charged with Class I Felony Possession of Burglarious Tools, 3 counts of Misdemeanor Theft, Misdemeanor Criminal Damage to Property, and Misdemeanor Obstructing an Officer.
Vala L. Quaderer
Charges of Class I Felony Possession of Burglarious Tools and 3 counts of Misdemeanor Theft have also been filed against Vala L. Quaderer as a Party to a Crime.
According to the criminal complaint filed against Belille, Sr. in Sawyer County Circuit Court, on March 8, 2018, the LCO Tribal Police Department received a report of an individual running around inside of the locked Police Impound Lot. The criminal complaint states that this Impound Lot is surrounded by a 10-foot high fence which is secured by a padlock.
Officers located a hole cut in the fence as well as 2 automobile batteries, pliers with wire cutter feature, and a tire iron near the gate of the Impound Lot. The tire iron was covered in lead, indicative that the tire iron had been used to pry the wires off the battery terminals, according to the criminal complaint.
Officers noted one set of footprints in the unplowed snow leading to the hole in the fence. Due to the quantity of snow which had accumulated on the vehicles in the Impound Lot, the officers could ascertain which vehicles had been accessed and which had not, along with the footprints in the snow around the vehicle.
For approximately 10 minutes, officers worked through the Lot, checking vehicles, and giving verbal commands for someone to come out.
Ultimately one officer on scene heard a phone ring and saw smoke or breath coming out of the trunk area of a vehicle in the far southeast corner of the Lot. After officers advised that they were going to use OC Spray, a voice responded, “Ok I’ll come out.” Officers opened the trunk and located Belille, Sr. inside the trunk.
No suspicious vehicles were found near the Impound Lot, so an officer was dispatched to the residence of Belille, Sr. His vehicle was found at his residence, with Vala Quaderer inside. The criminal complaint goes on to state that she allegedly told officers that she had dropped Belille, Sr. off at the Impound Lot, and that she knew he went there to steal the automobile batteries. Inside of the truck bed, officers located another automobile battery, along with assorted tools including a flashlight and a long-shanked screwdriver. She was placed under arrest as well.
The criminal complaint goes on to state that while Belille, Sr. was being transported to the Sawyer County Jail, the officer was speaking to Dispatch and advising that one of the charges would be Possession of Burglarious Tools. Belille, Sr. asked the officer what tools he was talking about. The officer responded, “the tire iron.” Belille, Sr. then allegedly stated, “I was using my hands to remove the wires, I didn’t need to pry it with the tire iron.”
At bail bond hearings on March 9, 2018, Belille, Sr. and Quaderer were both placed on $500 cash bonds. Quaderer’s bond was posted a few days later. Belille, Sr. & Quaderer both appeared in Sawyer County Circuit Court on March 20, 2018, for Initial Appearances on their criminal charges. Belille, Sr. is due back in court in April 2018; Quaderer is scheduled to return again in June 2018.
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: Mar 21, 2018 11:38 am CDT
