2025, late Sunday night, 29-year-old Jake Wenzel went to a home on 268th Avenue where his girlfriend’s family lived. Earlier, Wenzel had been involved in an argument with the victim, his girlfriend’s sister, before she left the house. When she returned, she parked in the driveway and ran inside through a back entrance, knowing the confrontation wasn’t over. Moments later, Wenzel showed up in a silver Dodge Ram, got out while holding a handgun, and approached her vehicle demanding she come out. The victim’s sister, who owned the home, confronted Wenzel and told him to leave. Instead of backing down, Wenzel allegedly turned toward the house and fired at least one shot into the residence before fleeing in his truck.
The incident triggered an extensive overnight search, and deputies later found Wenzel’s pickup abandoned in a wooded subdivision, prompting officials to warn residents to stay indoors as the manhunt stretched into the next morning. Detectives eventually traced Wenzel to a motel in Union Grove, where surveillance efforts unfolded into a tense vehicle stop and high-speed chase through rural Racine County. According to officials, Wenzel sped away, jumped a curb, and continued driving until one of his tires disintegrated, forcing him into a muddy field near the Ellsworth Correctional Center. When he attempted to run, two sheriff’s K-9s were deployed and subdued him, bringing the pursuit to an end. Wenzel, who has a prior criminal record and was already out on bond, now faces a slate of new charges in both Kenosha and Racine counties.
