Random Lake, WI (WHBL) – Forty-year-old William G. Works of Cedarburg is facing half a dozen charges in connection with a bank burglary that occurred in the Village of Random Lake Thursday night.
A criminal complaint filed in Sheboygan County Court on Friday July, 31, 2015 states that Sheboygan County Sheriffs Deputies were called to the Collins State Bank on East Towne Drive shortly after midnight. That’s when a man and woman who live near the bank heard the sound of breaking glass, and one of them went to inspect. The couple initially thought that the sound was from a patio flower pot, but it turned out to be a window at the bank. Someone had broken in.
William Works was allegedly spotted leaving the bank through the same broken window. Then, he jumped into a nearby car and took off.
When deputies and a bank worker arrived on the scene to assess the property damage and losses, they immediately noticed that a brick had been thrown through the window to smash the glass, and that all of the bank-teller cash drawers were pried open.
Surveillance video also showed a male standing at the drive-thru, casing the bank, before hurling a brick through the window.
That was plenty to work with. They caught him.
It was quick investigative work that made the difference in apprehending the suspect so shortly after the burglary. Investigators had a good description of the car that was used in the getaway and were able to establish the last known direction in which the vehicle was seen heading.
An Ozaukee County deputy pulled Works over for driving 83 mph in a 55 mph speed zone on Highway 57. It took no time for the deputy to link Works to the bank burglary. The floorboard of his car was allegedly filled with cash that was stolen from the bank.
In addition to the burglary charges, Works faces a number of drug charges for possession, and charges for property damage. The combined charges could land him more than twenty years in prison, if convicted.
Note: Online records show that Works has at least two previous convictions for burglary in Ozaukee County dating back to 2007 and 2001.