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17-year-old pleads to car theft charges
Donald Tweedy
Donald Tweedy

A 17-year-old Gays Mills teenager pleaded guilty to felony charges in Grant County, while he faces a Crawford County felony charge, in connection with two car thefts.

Donald Joseph Tweedy pleaded guilty Sept. 5 to Grant County charges of driving or operating a vehicle without consent, and taking and driving a vehicle without consent. Misdemeanor charges of party to criminal damage to property and criminal trespass to a dwelling were dismissed, as were four traffic offenses — unreasonable and imprudent speed, reckless driving endangering safety, operating without a valid license and failure to obey a traffic officer signal or order.

Tweedy is set to be sentenced Oct. 21 at 11 a.m.

Tweedy also faces a Crawford County charge of taking and driving a vehicle without consent. His first appearance in Crawford County Circuit Court in Prairie du Chien was held Monday afternoon. A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 30 at 3 p.m.

Tweedy was sought after a car theft in Bell Center June 3 and a pickup theft in the Town of Platteville June 4.

Tweedy is accused of stealing a white 1998 Ford Mustang belonging to his mother from a residence at 49480 Iris Dr. in Bell Center, south of Gays Mills, June 3. Tweedy’s mother reported the car stolen around 8 p.m., according to Crawford County Sheriff’s Department investigator Ryan Fradette.

Later that night, a vehicle matching the description of the Mustang was seen at the scene of what the Grant County Sheriff’s Office described as “several attempted burglaries” in Dubuque. Two people then got to Platteville in a car matching the description of the stolen vehicle, where a sheriff’s deputy tried to stop it.

According to the sheriff’s office, a pursuit was terminated after the car crossed into Lafayette County. The car then returned to Grant County, and the car was found abandoned on East Business 151 near East Mineral Street in Platteville early June 4.

On June 4 around 9 p.m., a caller to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office reported seeing two males, whose description matched the occupants of the Mustang, in the Stumptown Road area in the Town of Platteville, west of Platteville. An earlier report noted “suspicious activity” as well northwest of Platteville.

Then, June 5 around 10:30 a.m., a red Chevrolet pickup truck was reported stolen from a residence on Stumptown Road. The truck was recovered in Dubuque June 6, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Tweedy turned himself in to authorities June 10.