Suspect charged in alleged home invasion, attempted homicide
TOWN OF MADISON, Wis. — Police arrested a 61-year-old man after he allegedly broke into a house and tried to kill someone.
According to Town of Madison police, the incident occurred on January 1, just before 2 p.m. at a home on Ridgewood Way.
Police said Jeffrey Wealti forcibly opened a screen door to the home. The victim, a 24-year-old man, then opened the front door to see what was going on.
Wealti, who reportedly held a large knife, then allegedly charged into the home and told the victim “You’re going to die today” and “You’re a dead man.”
According to a criminal complaint, the knife was about 13.5 inches long with a six-inch blade.
The victim reportedly grabbed the knife, but Wealti allegedly bit him in the left forearm. According to the criminal complaint, the victim reportedly said that he and Wealti wrestled back and forth.
During the struggle, Wealti reportedly told the victim “You’re a lot stronger than I thought you’d be,” to which the victim replied, “What’s wrong with you?”
The complaint states that the victim told police the fight moved into the living room area, where the victim was able to get on top of Wealti. The victim then reportedly elbowed Wealti in the head until he was knocked unconscious.
The victim then reportedly took the knife and called 911. According to police, the victim said he feared for his life and believed Wealti was going to kill him.
Police arrested Wealti and took him to a local hospital. According to the complaint, Wealti told officers at the scene “I got a little carried away.”
The complaint states that the victim received injuries to his head that required three staples, as well as minor injuries to his body.
On Tuesday, Wealti was charged with one count of attempted first-degree intentional homicide and one count of burglary-armed with a dangerous weapon. Both charges carry a modifier of the use of a dangerous weapon.
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