MIDDLETON, Wis. — Illinois law enforcement agencies shared new details Wednesday into the Highland Park shooting suspect’s trip to the Madison area.
Authorities say suspect Robert Crimo confessed to police that he drove to Madison where he saw another holiday celebration and considered attacking people there as well. The Lake County Major Crimes Task Force says the FBI recovered Crimo’s cell phone in Middleton, a neighboring suburb of Madison.
The owner of an auto body shop on University Ave. tells TMJ4 News that the FBI showed up there Tuesday morning to search the property. Jim Lund says they found the cell phone buried in a pile of dirt at the end of his parking lot. Lund said he was off work Monday enjoying Independence Day. He returned to his auto shop the next day to find federal investigators making a connection to his property and the Highland Park shooting suspect.
Authorities say they can’t speak to why Crimo left the Madison area and returned to Illinois where he was arrested on Monday. Sgt. Covelli says the FBI knew he ditched his phone thanks to the assistance of evidence technicians in Madison.
Authorities say the FBI is now going through that cell phone to search for evidence that could be used to further build the state’s case against Crimo.
