Antigovernment Fugitive Arrested on Wisconsin Farm
Antigovernment fugitive Joseph Jakubowski was arrested early today without incident when a team of 125- state and federal law enforcement officers surrounded him sleeping in a makeshift tent on a rural Wisconsin farm.
The arrest ended a 10-day nationwide manhunt for the 32-year-old fugitive wanted on arson and burglary charges in his hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin, where he mailed a 161-page to President Trump, denouncing government and religion.
The FBI posted a $20,000 reward for the fugitive. During the manhunt, additional security was provided for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and House Speaker Paul Ryan, who is from Janesville.
鈥淲e would like to say that this is a Good Friday in more than one way,鈥� Vernon County Sheriff John Spears told Lacrosse television station in announcing Jakubowski鈥檚 arrest early Friday.
Firearms believed stolen from a Janesville, Wisconsin, gun dealer when Jakubowski disappeared on April 4 were found at the scene, authorities said without immediately confirming all 18 weapons were recovered.
Jakubowski鈥檚 mysterious disappearance鈥攂egun when he set his car afire and allowed a friend to video him mailing the manifesto鈥攅nded in the simplest of ways.
A farmer in Vernon County, about 125 miles northwest of Janesville, called the sheriff鈥檚 department Thursday evening when spotted a stranger who had set up a makeshift tent on the rural private property and refused to leave.
The farmer said he initially didn鈥檛 realize the stranger was the wanted fugitive, and described him as 鈥渃ordial,鈥� the Lacrosse station reported.
The farmer, a retired high school counselor identified as Jeffrey Gorn by The Associated Press, told authorities he talked to the man for about an hour and never felt threatened
The farmer said Jakubowski 鈥渨as angry with society in general, but never raised his voice,鈥� the station reported.
Later, the farmer called the sheriff鈥檚 office telling dispatchers a man 鈥渕atching the description of Jakubowski was camping at that location and refused to leave when he had been asked to do so,鈥� authorities said in a news release.
A team of 125 law enforcement officers from 14 agencies was dispatched to the scene and, under cover of darkness, established a perimeter around the 150-acre farm.
About 6 a.m. Friday, shortly before sunrise, SWAT team officers approached the tent using a Bearcat tactical vehicle and arrested the fugitive without incident, the sheriff鈥檚 department said.
鈥淗e gave up without any resistance and was taken into custody,鈥� the Vernon County sheriff told the Lacrosse television reporters. 鈥淭here was an overwhelming force there [and] I think he understood what he was facing, so he gave up peacefully.鈥�
Investigators have said Jakubowski mailed a 161-page manifesto to President Donald Trump that contains extensive, rambling screeds against the government and religion.
At one point in the manifesto, the author wrote, 鈥淲e need to spill their blood.鈥�
in Milwaukee reported Thursday it obtained a copy of a portion of the manifesto before Jakubowski鈥檚 disappearance.
In the rambling screed, Jakubowski contends government and religion are brainwashing citizens, and he wants his death 鈥渃arried out by the hands of the president鈥� on live television,鈥� the station reported.
He said he was willing to carry out violent acts, but doesn鈥檛 list specific targets.
Investigators say while Jakubowski apparently research survivalist sites and obtained a bullet proof vest and a helmet, he doesn鈥檛 have any known affiliations with militia or Patriot groups.
