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Minn. man arrested after 3-hour search
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Times photo: Jim Winter Officers from the Green County Sheriffs Department confer on where Durenberger could have walked off to while another officer photographs the stolen 1984 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight that Durenberger left behind.

Reverse 9-1-1 used

During the incident, dispatch at the Green County Sheriff's Department used the Reverse 9-1-1 phone system to alert area residents that a suspect was in the area.

The Reverse 9-1-1 system is an automated dialing computer system with a delivery of a message to a specified geographic location by using existing phone lines at the department.

The initial message was dispersed to homes in a three-mile radius of the location.

While the calls were being made, Durenberger was apprehended; the department distributed a cancellation message.

MONROE - A call about a car parked in a cemetery and a man acting suspiciously turned into a manhunt and an arrest Thursday morning.

After about a three-hour search, Bradley J. Durenberger, 36, Rochester, Minn., was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle without owner's consent and resisting arrest.

At around 8 a.m., a Green County Highway Department worker called in a passenger vehicle parked near Potter Cemetery on Wisconsin 11 about a half-mile west of Monroe.

The worker also observed an adult male acting suspicious in the area of Potter Church, directly across Wis. 11 from the cemetery. At about the same time, a resident reported an adult male acting suspicious near the homes on Carnie Road, near the cemetery.

After arriving on scene, deputies learned the 1984 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight was reported stolen Wednesday after 9:30 p.m. from Mower County, Minn. in the southeastern part of the state. The owner of the vehicle said the car was stolen from where she worked.

Green County Sheriff Randy Roderick said he did not know where Durenberger was traveling or why he pulled off the highway at the cemetery.

Deputies obtained a description of the man as more law enforcement personnel from the sheriff's department, Monroe Police Department and Wisconsin State Patrol responded to the scene.

Green County Deputy and canine handler Charlie Worm was called in from off duty. He and his dog began tracking Durenberger. Roderick said Worm and his dog tracked Durenberger to within 50 to 100 yards before Worm had to rest the dog.

Monroe off-duty dog handler Sgt. Dan Maresch responded to the scene. The dog picked up the track, and Durenberger was located in a wooded area about 50 yards from where they picked up the track.

Durenberger was lying down and partially covered by his outerwear clothing. Durenberger neither responded to or obeyed the canine officer's commands. The officers used pepper spray to subdue him.

Due to the use of pepper spray and a claim from Durenberger that he had a previous injury, Monroe EMS came to the scene and transported Durenberger to Monroe Clinic Hospital for medical clearance.

Durenberger was incarcerated in the Green County Jail. Investigation of the incident continues.