Waukesha Man Charged With Breaking into State Patrol Car

A 27-year-old man is facing charges after he allegedly broke into a Wisconsin State Patrol squad car while it was parked in a Waukesha parking garage and then passing out drunk in a nearby community room.

Daniel J. Heideman was charged in on Tuesday with one count of entry into a locked vehicle, one count of criminal damage to property and one count of entry into a locked room. If convicted, he faces up to 27 months in prison and $30,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint:

On Aug. 8, the trooper had parked his squad car in an apartment parking garage in the 1400 block of Rockridge Road when he noticed someone had smashed out a window and taken files out of the car. The car also had a bent windshield wiper.

Investigators then contacted the property manager who found Heideman passed out on a couch inside a community room at the complex. Heideman had bloodshot eyes and told officers he had just walked into the building while looking for a place to sleep after drinking, but couldn’t remember which door he used.

A surveillance camera was inside the community room, but it had been ripped from the ceiling by Heideman, who got into the room by smashing out a window. Investigators also found one of the trooper’s files in the room. Heideman admitted to taking the files and then putting them in an oven, saying he does “stupid things” when he drinks.

Heideman is out of custody and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.