By Derek Woellner —

University of Wisconsin–Stout’s hardest criminal since the Midwest Pipe Bomber in 2002, the Stout Tire Slasher has yet to be identified.

The slasher, referred to as the Wheel Wounder by sophomore Adam Morton-Gunderson, has struck 8 different times since his first attack in early December. Sgt. Jason Spetz of the University of Wisconsin–Stout Police Department estimates that 37 cars in UW lots have been struck over the last couple months, and eight to ten cars have been hit in surrounding neighborhoods. Most of the incidents have occurred in lots 4 and 22.

Freshman Alyson Reighn was one of the victims in lot 4. After having her car towed to a shop by AAA, Reighn had to pay $185 to have her tires replaced. Replacing two tires is an expensive task for any college student. Reighn expressed that she was at the lower end of the cost spectrum, “I know one guy; he spent $400 on his tires. So that’s $800 right there.”

Reighn was made aware that her car had been targeted through an email from the UW–Stout Police Department. She went to check it out immediately after her class let out. Approaching the lot she looked upon a path of destruction; hers was just one of many in a long line of tipping vehicles. As she reached her car, she found an inch-long puncture in both tires on the passenger side of her car, a typical move by the slasher.

“They’re hitting two tires per vehicle on the same side—front and back,” Spetz explained to the Dunn County News.

If you have any information about the slasher, aka the Wheel Wounder, please contact the authorities at 715-232-5076.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *