Top Stories February 12th

Vega Sentenced In Inmate Attack


2/12/11 - An inmate guilty at the Waupun Correctional Institution had 20 years added to his life sentence Friday for attempting to murder a fellow prisoner. It took a Dodge County jury seven hours last December to find 46-year-old Alfredo Vega guilty of Reckless Injury, Battery By Prisoner, Aggravated Battery and a lesser offense of Second Degree Attempted Homicide. The crimes were considered “aggravated” because Vega used a homemade weapon and was a habitual criminal. It all started over a handball game more than two years ago. Tensions had been brewing between the two following a disagreement as to whether the ball was in or out-of-bounds. It continued to escalate, with the victim taunting Vega, his eventual attacker, over a period of months saying things like “I own the court.” In February of 2009, Vega – a convicted murderer – retaliated and stabbed the 45-year-old inmate in the abdomen with a pair of scissors. Vega said, “I got him, he’s been threatening me for two months and I finally got him.” Vega later denied having a pair of scissors. The victim – apparently unfazed by the stab wound – did retaliate and pulled Vega’s sweater over his head and repeatedly punched him in the face until he was bloody and disoriented.

District Attorney Kurt Klomberg says his office worked hard to obtain the conviction (quote) “because a person cannot plunge a knife into another human being’s gut and expect to get away with it.” Klomberg described Vega as an unrepentant violent criminal who is exactly where he belongs – behind bars for the rest of his life. Vega is currently serving a life sentence for the 1993 robbery and murder of a woman in Milwaukee. Judge Brian Pfitzinger also imposed a $2000 fine to be paid out of the Vega’s prison accounts.

Neosho Man Charged in Stand Off

2/12/11 - A signature bond was set at $7500 yesterday (Fr) for a man who allegedly sparked a short stand-off with police Thursday night. 59-year-old Dennis Aasen of Neosho is charged with a felony count of Intimidation of a Victim and misdemeanor charges of Operating a Firearm While Intoxicated, Obstruction and Disorderly Conduct. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department says they got a call from the Aasen’s wife who said she had barricaded herself and her young daughter in the bathroom after he allegedly threatened both of them while holding a rifle. Sheriff’s Deputies and the Special Weapons and Tactics Team surrounded the home and within 45-minutes Aasen reportedly came out unarmed and was taken into custody.

Lawsuit Filed in Death of Beaver Dam Woman

2/12/11 - A wrongful death suit has been filed in Dodge County Court on behalf of a woman killed in a traffic accident in late November. An autopsy completed in December showed 22-year-old Diamond M. Avalos died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head. She was a passenger in a car driven by 19-year-old Guadalupe Rodriguez Jr that left North Spring Street in Beaver Dam and rolled over. The lawsuit, which was filed last month, lists Velma Avalos, the mother of Diamond, and the estate of Diamond Avalos as the plaintiffs, while the defendant’s include Rodriguez, the owner of the car Derick Hernandez, and an insurance company. The suit is seeking unspecified damages.

Fountain Prairie Home Destroyed by Fire

2/12/11 - A home was destroyed by fire Thursday afternoon in the town of Fountain Prairie. It started just before 12:30 p-m on Highway Z. Officials say they are still trying to determine the cause of the blaze but do not consider it to be a suspicious fire. No one was injured but a dog did die. Crews were on scene until around 7 p-m.

Waupun Man Charged In Domestic Incident

2/12/11 - A Waupun man is facing charges after he allegedly threatened a child and burned a woman with a cigarette last week. 42-year-old Fred Giddings made his initial appearance for disorderly conduct this week. The criminal complaint states that when a 34-year-old woman attempted to call 9-1-1 Giddings burned her with a cigarette. The complaint goes on to say that a 9-year-old child told police that during the dispute Giddings pointed a BB gun at her and threatened to shoot her. Giddings is free on a $500 signature bond.

Goodwill Offering Free Electronic Recycling

2/12/11 - A Beaver Dam business will be recycling old electronics for free this weekend. It’s costing more and more to dispose of computer equipment and televisions, so the Goodwill Store in Beaver Dam is offering the service at no charge this weekend. Among the items accepted: computer CPU’s, hard drives, towers, printers, keyboards, monitors and televisions.

Dancing With The Favre’s?

2/12/11 - ABC may soon be “Dancing with the Favre’s.” U-S-A Today says former Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre is getting some of the biggest speculation about who will be in the cast of the next edition of “Dancing with the Stars.” The network plans to announce the next group of contestants on February 28th. Some bloggers say A-B-C won’t want the 41-year-old Favre because he’s supposedly lacking in family values. He was considered a strong family man until he was investigated and sued for allegedly sending racy text messages to three women while he was playing with the New York Jets in 2008.