Here's Some Work

MANITOWOC, WI — Ryan Basten, Rodrigo Rodriguez and Brian Koenig are all wanted men in Manitowoc County.


The three are part of a warrant list of 1,306 names, Sheriff Rob Hermann said. The list includes warrants issued by the Manitowoc Sheriff's Department, and the Kiel, Two Rivers and Manitowoc police departments. More than 700 of people on the warrant list are wanted by the city of Manitowoc, Deputy Chief Bridget Anderson said.


Warrants are issued if offenders fail to appear for a court appearance, if the offender fails to pay fines or complete a sentenced ordered by a judge or if someone is suspected in a crime.


A warrant was issued for Basten, 18, of Brillion, after he failed to appear for a court appearance in March. He faces two counts of attempted theft, according to court records.


Koenig, 44, of Valders, failed to appear for his jury trial scheduled for October 2004, court records show. Koenig's charged with his fifth offense of operating while intoxicated — a felony.


Rodriguez, 33, of Manitowoc, is wanted for allegedly carrying a concealed weapon.


While some offenders don't know they are wanted, most are, Hermann said. Many offenders change their address often to avoid law enforcement.


"Many of these people are very difficult to find," Hermann said. "Some of these people don't have a permanent address and some people move four or five times a year."


Some people wanted for more serious crimes leave the state or in extreme cases, leave the country, Hermann added.


There are three types of warrant issued for offenders. Body-only warrants mean the person will be taken into custody and later appear in front of a judge. Body-only warrants are often issues for offenders who fail to show up for a court hearing or to serve their jail sentence.


Commitment warrants are issued for offenders who don't pay a fine associated with a sentence. After being arrested, the offender has the option of paying the fine or serves a minimal jail sentence before being released.


The third warrant is the arrest warrant, issued for a suspect of a crime.


Warrants are not issued to motorists who fail to pay parking or speeding tickets, Hermann said. Instead, the state Department of Transportation will suspend the driver's license.


Anderson and Hermann said the departments rarely actively look for offenders wanted on a warrant because of staffing levels and jail population issues. The jail is often at its capacity of about 200 inmates, Hermann said.


Most of the wanted people the departments "stumble upon" after they commit another crime, Hermann said.


Offenders with warrants don't often face additional penalties when caught. If someone fails to appear for a court hearing and is picked up on a warrant, that person may be further charged with bail jumping, Hermann said.


Sometimes, offenders are stopped in other counties or states. Shared information will alert authorities elsewhere of the warrant in Manitowoc County, Hermann said.


Hermann said the county will pay to extradite wanted persons arrested in other parts of the country, but extradition can cost "thousands" if the person is arrested in a far-away state. Costs differ based on transportation and security costs.


Abraham Arriaga, who failed to appear for a court hearing in October 2006, was arrested in January in Houston. Arriaga was wanted in Manitowoc County for delivering cocaine and marijuana and bail jumping.


Arriaga was arrested in Houston after attempting to board a Mexico-bound plane without a passport, according to Manitowoc County Sheriff's Lt. Mark Anderson, commander of the Metro Drug Unit.


Arriaga was later extradited to Manitowoc County and is being held on $10,000 cash bail.


A trial is scheduled for Arriaga for October on the delivery charges. No court date is scheduled for the bail jumping charge.


Anyone with information about an offender wanted in Manitowoc County is asked to call the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department at 920-683-4200.