DICKEYVILLE—A Washburn County man and unidentified man and woman are being sought for questioning in an assault and battery incident that took place in a Dickeyville gas station on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Dickeyville Police Chief David Reuter said he was parked at the grocery story across the street from the Dickeyville BP/Country Mart gas station, located at 124 S. Main St., at approximately 8:40 p.m. Saturday when the clerk from the gas station flagged him down.
“She told me a customer in her store was getting beat up,” Reuter said.
Reuter responded to find a 36-year-old Dickeyville man bleeding from the face. When Reuter determined the victim would be fine, he attempted to pursue a white van he saw fleeing the scene as he responded. He was able to get a license plate from the vehicle, Wisconsin plate 583-ZKC belonging to Drew Striegel of Sarona, Wis.
Reuter was unable to catch the vehicle and used the store’s surveillance video to determine what occurred. He said the video showed a woman entering the store, recognizing the victim, making a purchase and leaving the store to get into a 2006 white Chrysler minivan. The vehicle remained at the gas station after the woman got in and relocated to the north side of the parking lot. The driver of the vehicle, believed to be Striegel, entered the store, asked the customer his name and when the victim confirmed, Striegel started punching him in the face. Reuter estimated the victim was struck approximately 20 times.
When the clerk left the store to get help, a man, also from the van, entered the store to tell Striegel that the police were across the street. Striegel and the unidentified man exited the store and drove away in the van.
Reuter was able to match the vehicle owner to the man in the video because of a prior criminal record. Streigel has a record of battery and drug possession throughout Wisconsin, including Grant County. Striegel is currently on three years extended supervision after serving 16 months in prison, from which he was released in November, on a Waukesha County charge of manufacture or delivery of up to 3 grams of heroin. Striegel also was sentenced to one year in prison and three years extended supervision in late 2014 on two Grant County counts of battery by prisoners as a repeater.
Reuter said Striegel’s probation officer has been contacted and Striegel will be detained for questioning. Charges of battery are pending. Reuter also has attempted to make contact with a woman believed to be involved, but he is withholding her identity until his investigation is complete.
“The incident doesn’t seem planned,” Reuter said. “The woman seemed surprised to see the victim. After talking with the victim, he said he was familiar with the woman.”
The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries. He was released and Reuter said the man is doing fine.
Reuter asks that anybody with information about the suspects or this incident contact him at the Dickeyville Police Department, 608-568-7284.
