WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) — A man accused of breaking into Wausau police chief Jeff Hardel’s house has reached a plea deal with prosecutors.
40-year-old Jason Warner withdrew an insanity plea and pleaded no contest to trespassing, criminal damage to property, operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent and theft. A felony charge of burglary was dismissed as part of the deal.
Prosecutors say Warner broke into Jeff Hardel’s home in August of last year. Security footage shows Warner spent about an hour inside the house before driving off in Hardel’s personal truck. He was later picked up by the State Patrol wandering along the side of I-94 in Western Wisconsin. Hardel’s truck was found at a rest stop about four miles away.
Warner had been reported missing by his parents. He suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and they say he had not been taking his medication.
Under the deal, Warner will be serving 86 days in jail after time already served is applied. He’ll be serving that sentence in a Michigan jail. He’ll also have to pay back $1,778 to West Bend Mutual Insurance for damages to the house.
