Man Charged in Baraboo, WI, Self-Storage Thefts

A repeat offender has been charged in connection with several break-ins that took place in August at a Baraboo, Wis., self-storage facility Barry W. Riddle, 38, faces seven class-F felony counts of burglary for thefts from Mini-Warehouse Storage at 804 Lynn Ave., according to the source.

The facility manager discovered and reported damage to 18 units in early August. The units were accessed after someone pried the trim from the lock side of the door, according to police. A maintenance worker discovered the trim on top of the building’s roof.

Though the storage business had video cameras, they weren’t aimed at the compromised units, so nothing suspicious was originally recorded, the source reported. The storage manager later added cameras near the units that had been targeted and captured new footage showing a man in a red and black jacket taking items from units that were supposed to be vacant and loading them into a red Jeep Cherokee. A partial license-plate number was captured, but police were unable to identify the vehicle owner.

After authorities posted stills from the video on social media, they received leads that led them to identify Riddle, who was on parole following a felony burglary in 2006. When detectives spoke with Riddle’s girlfriend on Sept. 18, she said she had visited the storage unit with him, and the man in the photos was “probably him.”

Riddle was arrested on Sept. 30 shortly after breaking into several rooms at the Polynesian Water Park Hotel in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Management spotted Riddle as he left the hotel pulling a yellow trash can containing stolen items.

Riddle faces a maximum prison sentence of more than 172 years and fines up to $345,000, the source reported. He’s scheduled to appear in court today.

Source:
Baraboo News Republic, Former Reedsburg Man Arrested on Multiple Felony Burglary Charges