By Shereen Siewert
A Wausau man wearing only boxer shorts told police he was “on acid for four days” before stealing a vehicle and leading officers on a chase north of the city with speeds topping 107 mph, according to court documents filed this week.
Thomas Vogedes, 35, now faces charges of sixth-offense operating while intoxicated, fleeing an officer, and taking and driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent. The charges were filed Nov. 10 in Marathon County Circuit Court.
According to the criminal complaint, at about 10:22 p.m. on Nov. 7 a woman called police to report that her car was missing from her town of Hamburg home and an unfamiliar vehicle was parked in her driveway. A check of the license plate showed the abandoned vehicle was reported stolen from Lincoln County one day prior.
About 15 minutes later a deputy observed the woman’s vehicle at the intersection of Hwy. K and Hwy. L traveling at a high rate of speed. After pulling over for about 10 seconds, the driver, identified as Vogedes, allegedly sped away, leading the deputy on a chase with speeds regularly in the 100 mph to 107 mph range. The speed limit on the roadway is 55 mph.
The chase ended after about 4 miles when another deputy used stop sticks to deflate the vehicle’s tires, according to court documents. Vogedes allegedly got out of the vehicle, clad only in his underwear and without socks or shoes, and was taken into custody.
Police say Vogedes apologized for his behavior and said he was afraid after spending several days “on acid” and thought police were planning to shoot him, according to court documents.
Vogedes was transported to a local hospital, where he allegedly became belligerent and accused a deputy of being a “devil worshiper.” He refused sobriety tests and was eventually taken to jail, according to the incident report.
During an initial appearance Nov. 10, Circuit Judge Mike Moran ordered Vogedes held on a $10,000 cash bond. He remains behind bars.
A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 18.
