FOND DU LAC COUNTY (NBC 26) — Miles Jaeger, 21, was charged Thursday after prosecutors say he attempted to kidnap a woman on the Mascoutin Valley Trail near Rosendale.
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office says deputies responded Monday afternoon to the trail after reports that a woman had been attacked while walking with her 1-year-old son in a stroller. Jaeger now faces charges of attempted kidnapping (Felony C), false imprisonment (Felony H), battery (Misd. A) and criminal damage to property (Misd. A).
According to a newly released criminal complaint, a 27-year-old woman was walking on the trail around 3:20 p.m. June 29 when an unknown man passed her, then turned around and attacked her from behind. Prosecutors allege Jaeger grabbed the woman by the neck and attempted to cover her mouth with a white cloth. During the struggle, investigators say two necklaces were ripped from her neck before the suspect fled to a vehicle parked on Willow Creek Road and left the area. Deputies documented visible redness on the woman’s neck, according to the complaint.
According to the criminal complaint, investigators later identified Jaeger through community tips, including information shared on Facebook, along with neighborhood interviews and residential security camera footage. Authorities executed a search warrant at Jaeger’s Rosendale home Monday night, where he was taken into custody. The complaint also says detectives recovered a white cloth-like item and two broken necklaces near the scene. During a search of Jaeger’s home and vehicle, investigators also reported finding a black rope-like material and a T-shirt that allegedly matched clothing seen in surveillance footage.
Jaeger appeared before a judge for an initial appearance Thursday at 11 a.m. and is being held on a $200,000 cash bond.
