Warrant Catches Up to Tosa Man as He Digs for Cigs

A Wauwatosa man drew unwanted attention to himself by scavenging used cigarette butts in an ashtry stand outside a restaurant closed for Thanksgiving evening. But it was not unwarranted attention.

At 5:56 p.m. last Thursday, a 33-year-old Wauwatosa man was arrested for possession of heroin paraphernalia, resisting arrest and on an unspecified felony warrant after an officer saw him acting suspiciously in the parking lot of the Subway shop at 7630 Blue Mound Rd.

The shop was closed, but the man was kneeling near the building, the officer said, so he approached him to see what he was doing. As it turned out, he was picking cigarette butts out of an ashtray.

He gave his name to the officer and told him he just really, really needed a smoke. But then suddenly he bolted and ran, escaping for the moment.

A police perimeter was set up in the Wellauer Heights neighborhood, and K-9 officer Addy was brought to the scene to sniff him out.

The suspect was soon seen running – and ran right back practically into the arms of the patrol officer who had stopped to talk to him.

The man had a heroin cooking rig on him and was wanted on a felony warrant through the Department of Corrections – which, he said, was why he had run.

The suspect was convicted in July 2009 of felony possession of narcotics and bail jumping. He had been given a deferred sentencing deal, but after jumping bail he was sentenced to 179 days in jail.

Whether the current warrant was related to that conviction and supervision or on a newer charge was unspecified in the police report.