2 men suspected of attempting to burglarize Vernon County bars arrested

VIROQUA, Wis. (WEAU) - Two men are suspected of attempting to burglarize several Vernon County bars, according to the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office.

In a release, the Sheriff’s Office said that 36-year-old Joseph Hodge of Elroy and 27-year-old Jacob Ruetten of New Lisbon tried to break into three different bars in Vernon County in an attempt to steal from the establishments on July 3 and July 4.

The bars that the men tried to break into were the Rockton Bar in La Farge, Nordic Lanes in Westby, and the Tippy Toe Inn in Chaseburg.

The Sheriff’s Office is recommending charges of burglary, attempted burglary, attempted theft and criminal damage to property. Neither man has been charged in Vernon County for the incidents mentioned in the press release as of Tuesday afternoon.

Hodge was convicted of retail theft in Vernon County in August in an unrelated incident. He also has open cases for burglary in Jackson County, criminal trespass in Juneau County, and possession of meth in Monroe County, according to online court records.

Ruetten is also facing charges of burglary as a party to a crime in Jackson County and has several retail theft or burglary convictions in Dane, Juneau, Monroe and Sauk counties. Ruetten is also facing a charge of 2nd-degree sexual assault of a child in Juneau County, according to online court records.

Assisting the investigation was the Westby Police Department.