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• Roberts woman gets probation for burglary
• Domestic call turns deadly for Gilman man

By Jason Schulte, RiverTowns staff

A Roberts woman will spend the next three years on probation after pleading guilty Thursday in Pierce County Circuit Court to multiple felonies, including burglary and theft.

The agreement calls for Valerie K. Vorwald, 21, to pay restitution, believed to be over $8,000, undergo a psychological evaluation and an alcohol and drug assessment. Vorwald must follow through with treatment on both cases, along with maintaining full-time employment.

"The intent was to get her on supervision so she can be held accountable for her actions," said Pierce County District Attorney John O'Boyle during the hearing. He added the agreement was worked out so Vorwald "could straighten her life out, so she could apply for expungment."

Vorwald pled guilty to a felony burglary and theft charge in Pierce County from two separate incidents. She also pled guilty to a felony bail jumping and theft in St. Croix County incidents.

She was charged last November in the burglary case, along with two other individuals, for breaking into a house on 710th Avenue in the Town of River Falls. Sheriff's deputies caught a truck in which Vorwald was the driver leaving the scene.

For more please read the Feb. 3 print version of the Herald.

A Town of Gilman man died early this morning when attempting to flee officers crashed his car and was ejected from it.

Dennis M. Rud, 55, was traveling southbound on County Highway N at an extremely high rate of speed when his vehicle went off the road and entered the ditch, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department. The accident happened around 2 a.m.

Rud was trapped under his vehicle and had to be extracted. He was transferred by ambulance to the Red Barn parking lot where he was he was pronounced dead.

Pierce County Sheriff Nancy Hove explained that dispatch received a call at 1:48 a.m. about a possible domestic dispute at Rud's address, N7143 County Road N. Rud then took off prior to deputies' arrival and crashed about 1/8 of a mile from his house.

The Sheriff's Department said they're assisted at the scene by Spring Valley Ambulance and Fire along with Ellsworth Area Ambulance and LifeLink III. The Wisconsin State Patrol is handling the investigation.