The Madison Police Department announced Thursday the arrests of four people believed to make up an area crime ring, with one suspect still at large.
The Sept. 20 arrest of Sven Heilskov, 34, who was tackled when attempting to flee a local hardware store robbery, marked the first event which led to the capture of Madison's most active robbers, police said.
According to a statement released Thursday, Heilskov admitted to participating in numerous Madison area robberies, including robbing Supreme Pizza, 912 E. Johnson St., twice in the same day in late September.
According to Public Information Officer Mike Hanson, the Madison crime ring was also connected to a Sept. 16 shootout between Sauk County Sheriffs and David Bracey, in which Bracey was killed.
According to Captain Richard Meister, Bracey had been connected to a robbery at the Lake Delton Home Depot, near Wisconsin Dells, and police were attempting to speak with him when he opened fire.
Bracey and Heilskov were also working with Georgianna Smith, 37, according to Hanson. Smith was seen on video recordings with Bracey and was taken into custody by police after the shootout.
That broke the case,"" Hanson said, adding that Smith's arrest led to capture of Bradley Tolson, 57, the fourth member of the crime ring.
Hanson stressed the independence of each member of the team, which made drawing connections between individual suspects especially difficult.
""They didn't act as a group all the time, for every single hit,"" he said.
A fifth suspect, described as a 50-year-old black man with a mustache, goatee, and observable bump on his forehead, is still at large. On Monday, a man matching that description robbed the Home Savings Bank at 3762 E. Washington Ave.
In most of the robberies connected to the group, suspects used notes demanding money and threatened to use weapons, a method employed by Monday's robber as well.
However, Thursday's arrests only account for several of numerous crimes that have occurred in Madison recently. Police also arrested Andre Patton, 25, Thursday for armed robbery. The investigation later connected Patton with numerous other robberies involving pizza delivery drivers near Allied Drive. Police do not believe Patton is connected to any broader organization.
Madison Police Chief Noble Wray applauded his officers for breaking up the alleged crime ring.
""With a crime ring as large as this, with so many reports, witnesses and evidence to examine, this clearly illustrates the competence and thoroughness of our detectives,"" Wray said.
