• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Three-hour pursuit ends in arrest

MILTON — Officers from three law enforcement agencies pursued a former Milton man for three hours Sunday before arresting him on charges of domestic disorderly conduct while armed, according to a press release from the Milton Police Department.

Matthew S. Fritz, 28, Madison, called his estranged wife at 2:30 a.m. Sunday and told her he was coming to Milton from Madison "to slit her throat and then kill himself by crashing his car," the press release said.

Twenty minutes later, Fritz called her back from his cell phone and said: "I can see you," according to police.

When an assisting Rock County Sheriff's Office deputy stopped Fritz's vehicle, Fritz fled on foot with a knife. Officers from Milton, the sheriff's office and the Janesville Police Department's K-9 Unit pursued him for three hours before Janesville police found him just before 6 a.m. at a Janesville restaurant, took him into custody and turned him over to the Milton Police Department.

During the pursuit, the estranged wife and her family were evacuated from their home and taken to a remote location for safety, the press release said.

Fritz is being evaluated by Rock County Health and Human Services officials, which could take up to 72 hours, said Jerry Schuetz, Milton police chief.

When the evaluation is complete, he will be taken to the Rock County Jail. No initial court appearance is set, Schuetz said.