Ninth-offense OWI
A Mountain man is facing a felony charge for his alleged ninth drunken driving offense, after he was found asleep in his vehicle in the lane of traffic on state Highway 29 in Hartland last Friday.
Martin Cooper, 44, could face a maximum 10 years in prison and $10,000 fine if found guilty.
Shawano County sheriff’s deputies responding to a report of a vehicle parked in the traffic lane of Highway 29 near River Road found Cooper asleep in the vehicle, according to the criminal complaint. The complaint states Cooper believed he was in Mountain and was surprised to learn he was in Hartland.
According to court records, Cooper has four OWI convictions in Forest County, two in Oneida County, one in Brown County and one in Shawano County.
Cooper is being held on a $25,000 cash bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Dec. 30.
Felony theft, possession of meth
A Wausau woman waived her preliminary hearing Monday on felony charges of theft and possession of methamphetamine.
Beth A. Trolinger, 34, is scheduled for arraignment on Jan. 6. She could face a maximum possible penalty of 3 1/2 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for felony theft and for possession of meth. She is also charged with felony bail jumping, which carries a maximum six years and $10,000 fine.
According to the criminal complaint, Trolinger left the Shawano Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St., on Dec. 17 with more than $1,000 in merchandise. When police located her, they also discovered two “rocks” of meth in her purse, the complaint alleges, along with prescription drugs.
Trolinger is also charged with misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and bail jumping.
Felony OWI
A Merrill man is facing a felony charge of operating while intoxicated after his vehicle was apparently disabled by an interlock ignition device ordered installed after a previous drunken driving conviction.
Franklin A. Saal, 24, could face a maximum possible penalty of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine if found guilty of fourth-offense OWI within the last five years. He is also charged with a felony count of bail jumping, which carries the same possible penalty.
Shawano County sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a disabled vehicle in the town of Seneca on Dec. 12. The driver was identified as Saal, who told deputies his ignition device had locked up on him. He maintained he had not been drinking, but the devise displayed a blood-alcohol count of 0.03 percent, according to the criminal complaint.
Saal has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled for a pre-trial conference Feb. 4.
Strangulation
An arrest warrant has been issued for a Cecil man wanted in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident in the town of Washington.
Marvin H. Escobar-Arias, 33, is charged with a felony count of strangulation and suffocation that allegedly occurred during a domestic incident in the town on Dec. 13. He could face six years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted. He is also charged with a misdemeanor count of domestic abuse-related battery.
According to the criminal complaint, Shawano County sheriff’s deputies were called to a report of a domestic dispute in which a woman reported her ex-boyfriend had beaten her up and left the scene.