Man arrested after four-hour standoff
Photo 
Ronald Gapski
JANESVILLE — Janesville police took a 49-year-old man into custody Sunday afternoon after a nearly four-hour standoff that closed Center Avenue.
Ronald S. Gapski, no fixed address, was wanted in Dixon, Ill., on two counts of sexual assault to a child, according to a news release from the Janesville Police Department. Police tracked him down to a home at 2338 Center Ave., where he barricaded himself on the roof and threatened to kill himself with a butcher knife, Lt. Keith Lawver said.
"We had been looking for him a few days reference some information we had," he said.
The standoff lasted from 10:46 a.m. to 2:33 p.m. as a Janesville SWAT team tried to get Gapski to come down.
Police had to be careful to make sure Gapski didn't fall off the roof, Lawver said.
They finally arrested Gapski after releasing tear gas around the home, Lawver said.
"He dropped his knife, continued to resist a little bit but was overcome by the chemicals, and SWAT officers were able to take him in custody," he said.
A portion of Center Avenue was closed during the standoff.
The Rock County Sheriff's Office assisted the Janesville Police Department, Lawver said. No one was injured.
Police don't know if Gapski was staying in the house, which is divided into two apartments, Lawver said.
In fact, they're not even sure what community he lives in.
Gapski is under observation at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute near Oshkosh.
Lawver expected Gapski to face an extradition hearing to be sent back to Dixon, he said.
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Jul 22, 2009 at 12:04 p.m.
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momof5: 1977, if you can believe it.
Jul 22, 2009 at 9:47 a.m.
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guesseditall- did u ever think that some of the victims may have been family members? A persons actions are his own actions... his responsibility to apologize to the victims and their families. He has victimized his own family and there has been no apology there. Sorry if you feel that a family are sickos because they will not apologize, but they are facing their own pain that this man inflicted. Blame him, not his family.
Jul 21, 2009 at 3:26 p.m.
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Janesvillean: I think I remember that now. When was this?
Jul 21, 2009 at 12:04 p.m.
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from what i heard he was hiding out at the appartments that belonged to his realatives. that was i guess hiding him out hope that landlord knows what kinda sick ppl live there that would hide a child preditor there.
Jul 21, 2009 at 11:49 a.m.
Jul 21, 2009 at 11:47 a.m.
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yeah he doeslook insane maybe he should have been in the hospital all along and not wasting tax payers money on this crap and violating innocent lives when are you ppl that are related to him gonna say your sorry to the victims, gosh you all say you dont want to defend him and stuff but you still havent said a heart felt sorry to any hurt victims,gosh, whats wrong with you sickooooss
Jul 21, 2009 at 11:45 a.m.
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well this s his like 4th offence you got to go through illinois records back to the teenage years,can only get that record if you know someone in the p.d
Jul 21, 2009 at 10:11 a.m.
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momof5, the roofer Miles Durfee had a second wife three decades younger. She plotted with a former college professor of hers to kill him (newspaper accounts are ambiguous as to whether they had a relationship) and inherit his money (a couple million). The boyfriend chickened out of shooting him, so went to Vilas Park Zoo and asked an employee there about snake venom that would simulate a heart attack. The employee contacted police who set up a sting. The teacher testified against her at trial, but served time himself. She got 30 years (and a divorce).
Jul 21, 2009 at 9:56 a.m.
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SuperDave, the police had information that prompted them to be looking for him. It's just a hunch but it may have been the arrest warranted issued 7/09 that somebody2 mentioned.
Jul 21, 2009 at 8:50 a.m.
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'"We had been looking for him a few days reference some information we had," he said.'
Would someone kindly translate this into standard English for me?
Jul 20, 2009 at 11:12 p.m.
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This is not meant to defend nor excuse what he did and has done in the past, But I look at this all and I do not see a sane person. This man was up there wanting the cops to kill him. Oh yea if he is such a pathetic loser why the heck are you here wasting your time typing about him? HA
Jul 20, 2009 at 10:21 p.m.
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Why is he near Oshkosh now under mental health suvelliance? Was there not a facility between here and there that could handle this case? Or between here and Illinois for that matter!
Snake venom? Murder plot? What am I not remembering??!
Jul 20, 2009 at 9:20 p.m.
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Sorry for the missing words, I just have a lot going through my mind right now..
Here is a link to the court record showing the charges...
http://www.judici.com/courts/cases/case_...
Jul 20, 2009 at 9:17 p.m.
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He has been in prison before did 15 years of his sentence.. I was told my whole life this was a false report, I know better now! He will not get out of prison this time, he will die there! He also just got off of parole and the charges he is facing was brought up on 4/1/2009, 2 counts same as the last time... His warrant was issued 7/2/2009 and for some reason he thought he could here to Janesville Wisconsin to hide out. I hope this scum bag rotts in hell.. He may be family but I will never have anything to do with him, now that I the truth! For those of my family who choose to defend him and stay by him through this, they are just as sick as he and I won't have anything to do with them either! YES they should have shot him!
Jul 20, 2009 at 7:55 p.m.
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Thank you for the link hannah, after checking on this dirtbag I see he is a 2nd offender (at least that many) he was convicted when he was 34 last time so now he can go back to prison for a while and we get to pay for him to be there!!!!! YEAH SYSTEM!!!!! Should've shot him off the roof 10 minutes into it yesterday, thats the only sure way he'll never repeat again!!!! BANG problem solved no lengty trail that the tax payer covers no lenghty stay with meals and shelter 3 hots and a cot is how most refer to it, no way I'm sick of these dirtbags!
Jul 20, 2009 at 7:20 p.m.
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This loser is my uncle too! I don't defend him one bit, in fact if I knew he was in Janesville I would have turned him in!
Jul 20, 2009 at 6:14 p.m.
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Definitely extradite him! Obviously, he'd only get a little "slap on the wrist" if tried here.
Jul 20, 2009 at 5:09 p.m.
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Next time, JUMP, and quit wasting everyone's time and resources! Pathetic loser...
Jul 20, 2009 at 4:48 p.m.
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Yup thats the house, I thought I was the only one that remembered that...... Guess that house is marked now......
Jul 20, 2009 at 4:44 p.m.
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Isn't that the former Durfee house (of the infamous snake venom murder plot)?
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