DARLINGTON — A 37-year-old Darlington man arrested for an incident at the Pecatonica River Trails Campground waived his preliminary hearing Aug. 9 and pleaded not guilty to the 10 charges he faces.
William M. Breen is charged with fourth-offense operating while intoxicated, attempted strangulation and suffocation — domestic abuse, battery or threat to a law enforcement officer, attempted battery or threat to a law enforcement officer, felony bail jumping, resisting or obstructing an officer, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct — domestic abuse, two counts of disorderly conduct,
A scheduling conference is set for Oct. 17.
Breen’s $3,000 cash bond was modified to add that he not reside with the victim or her children, instead of banning contact with the victim and her children. Breen also will be required to not consume alcohol or controlled substances, stay out of businesses that sell alcohol, maintain absolute sobriety while driving with random testing if he makes bail, and not leave the state.
Several campers at the campground on Washington Street called 911 July 27 around 1:35 p.m. to report that a man was assaulting a woman in the campground, according to Darlington police.
According to the criminal complaint, two fishermen on the Pecatonica River on West River Street saw Breen lying down on the ground on the right side of a tent. One of the fishermen heard the woman Breen was with say something, then saw Breen get up and start to hit the woman in her ribs and back six or seven times.
Breen then got in his car and drove to the other side of the river to confront the fishermen, with Breen getting in the face of one of them, according to the criminal complaint.
When officers arrived, Breen climbed down the riverbank and went back to the campground where more officers were waiting and arrested him, according to the criminal complaint.
Breen was arrested for drunk driving after an officer noticed an odor of intoxicants from Breen and that his eyes were bloodshot and glossy and Breen was “talking quickly and mumbling his words.” Breen refused field sobriety testing, according to the criminal complaint.
Breen then struggled with officers and tried to run out of a Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County room, with three police officers and a Lafayette County deputy sheriff needed to subdue him. During the struggle Breen told a Darlington officer “I know where you [expletive deleted] live, you better watch out, buddy,” and “Bye bye, burn, burn,” according to the criminal complaint.
Status conferences were also held Aug. 2 on felony charges of bail jumping and possessing a weapon in violation of a domestic abuse or child abuse restraining order.
Breen pleaded guilty to the weapon charge, which was for an incident in August 2020, in January 2021. A two-year deferred prosecution agreement was reached, but was rescinded and an arrest warrant was issued after Breen failed to appear for a court hearing Aug. 10, according to court records.
Breen was then released on $1,000 signature bond with the conditions that he not consume alcohol, nonprescription controlled substances or prescription medication without a prescription, stay out of bars and submit to daily blood alcohol tests at the Lafayette County Jail, according to court records,
Breen pleaded not guilty to the bail jumping charge Dec. 21, according to court records.
Another arrest warrant was issued after Breen failed to appear for a court hearing Feb. 15, according to court records. The warrant was canceled after Breen made a video appearance from a jail in Kentucky July 22, according to court records.
A scheduling conference on those charges is scheduled for Sept. 6.
Breen was sentenced to six months in jail in 2018 after he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery — domestic abuse, intimidating or dissuading a victim from reporting and disorderly conduct — domestic abuse, according to court records.