Armed burglary suspects in custody 15 mins. after report

Three men were arrested Thursday morning in a traffic stop after authorities said they robbed a Caledonia home.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office said it received a report of a burglary in progress in the town of Caledonia at 11:24 a.m. Within 15 minutes of that call, deputies had stopped a suspicious car and taken the occupants into custody.

Matthew E. Maccani, 19, of Racine, Christopher M. Fischer, 28, of Marshall, and Jason P. Thomaschaske, 33, of Racine, were charged with numerous felonies including weapon and burglary crimes, according to the sheriff’s department.

The report said three men had forced entry to the Caledonia home and stole guns, money, jewelry, safes, electronics and other items.

The robbers were armed with a stolen handgun when they burglarized the house, authorities said.

Shortly after the report, deputies spotted a suspicious car that matched the description of the one used in the burglary approximately 4 miles from the victim’s residence, the sheriff’s department said. A felony traffic stop was performed and the three men were arrested without incident at 11:38 a.m., according to the report.

Investigators with the sheriff’s office also searched a Madison hotel room and recovered other stolen property, the report noted.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Department said Maccani, Fischer and Thomaschaske are suspects in numerous other burglaries in southeastern Wisconsin.

A crime alert message was sent out to other Wisconsin law enforcement agencies in case the incident may be linked to other burglaries, according to the release.

The Portage Police Department assisted the sheriff’s department in the arrests.